The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea, meeting in Beijing on Sunday, agreed to strengthen cooperation toward preventing a nuclear explosion test by North Korea and to launch talks this year on a trilateral free trade deal. But their joint statement, issued one day late, failed to mention North Korea.
The three countries' cooperation on North Korea could be shaky. China's remark on the Senkaku Islands also underlines the importance of Japan strengthening its guard to protect its sovereignty over the islands in the East China Sea.
The meeting was held amid reports that North Korea is preparing for its third nuclear explosion test, following its failed attempt to launch a satellite April 13 — an act that violated the 2009 U.N. Security Council resolution prohibiting North Korea from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technology.