On the morning of the local time, during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, President Xi Jinping met separately with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru. The development of China-Japan-South Korea relations has ushered in new opportunities. In the meetings, both Ishiba and Yoon expressed their commitment to the agreements signed with China and hoped to participate in China's modernization process, further strengthening bilateral cooperation with China.

Xi Jinping met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during his attendance at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima. Why have Japan and South Korea, which have strongly advocated for relying on the US to contain China and decoupling supply chains, shown a significant easing in their attitude towards China? Today, Jiu Wanli will take you to analyze the deeper reasons behind this.

Domestic factors: The two are having a tough time. Recently, Shibata Shigeru and Yoon Suk-yeol have been experiencing "fires in the backyard" in their domestic political arenas, embroiled in varying degrees of political infighting and scandals. Therefore, both proactively expressed their desire to meet with President Xi Jinping before the official meeting, hoping to improve relations with China through the meeting and gain China's support for their governance.

Ishiba Shigeru barely secured re-election, with an uncertain future. Despite narrowly achieving re-election, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru faces numerous urgent challenges, including the "black gold" scandal, domestic economic downturn, and yen depreciation. As a minority cabinet, Ishiba's second cabinet will face varying degrees of opposition from the opposition parties with each step forward, making the path to governance inevitably bumpy. Whether Ishiba can regain public trust and boost the economy remains uncertain.

Yoon Seok-yeol is embroiled in scandals and has gone into hiding. Looking at South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, his situation is even more difficult. The issues involving his wife Kim Keon-hee, such as allegedly receiving a Dior bag and manipulating stock prices, have not been resolved. The "First Lady Meddling in Politics" and "Confidant Gate" incidents have pushed Yoon Seok-yeol to the brink of impeachment. The South Korean public is tired of and fed up with the drama surrounding this couple, leading to a continuous decline in Yoon Seok-yeol's approval ratings for his governance, repeatedly setting new historical lows. According to a poll result released by Gallup Korea on [date], Yoon Seok-yeol's support rate has dropped to [percentage]%, the lowest since taking office, while his disapproval rate has reached [percentage]%, a new high. The opposition party, which holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly, has launched a comprehensive attack against Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife over their scandals. Yoon Seok-yeol, afraid to confront them directly, has chosen to avoid the spotlight and "go into hiding," absenting himself from National Assembly meetings and having the Prime Minister read his policy speech on his behalf.

Regional Factors: The situation on the peninsula is highly tense. In addition to the "internal troubles" of domestic politics, the "external threats" from Japan and South Korea have also left Ishiba Shigeru and Yoon Seok-yeol feeling overwhelmed. Last month, a war of words erupted between South Korea and North Korea over events such as South Korean drones intruding into Pyongyang and North Korea sending troops to aid Russia. North Korea swiftly took a series of "hostile" actions, including blowing up roads, digging trenches, and ordering border troops to enter a state of full combat readiness. South Korea was not to be outdone, first issuing gunfire warnings, then threatening to end the North Korean regime, and subsequently seeking cooperation with NATO, Ukraine, and urgently reaching out to the United States, Japan, the European Union, and others to address the situation, causing the peninsula's tensions to escalate sharply. Recently, North Korea tested a new type of "Hwasong-17" intercontinental ballistic missile just before the U.S. presidential election. Most of these missiles were launched towards the Sea of Japan, further heightening Japan's state of alert and anxiety.

External Factors: The Return of the "Know-it-all" Adds Uncertainty. Although over the past four years, the Biden administration has "meticulously" crafted alliances and collaboration mechanisms such as the U.S.-Japan-Australia, U.S.-Japan-South Korea, U.S.-Japan-India, and U.S.-Japan-Philippines, allowing Japan and South Korea to "enjoy the shade under a big tree" under the short-term protection of the United States. However, with Trump's return to power, the fate of these partnerships and related policies remains uncertain. Japan and South Korea are likely feeling quite perplexed about whether these relationships and policies will continue or be overhauled. Moreover, during his campaign, Trump repeatedly demanded protection fees from Asian allies like Japan and South Korea, claiming that these countries are America's "little brothers" who should pay protection money to the "gang leader." In 2016, Trump threatened to withdraw troops unless Japan increased its share of the cost for U.S. military presence by four times, a "greedy" demand that remains a painful memory for the Japanese government. As for South Korea, Trump went even further this year, stating that "in the face of North Korea's nuclear crisis, South Korea is a money-making machine" and suggesting that if he returns to the White House, South Korea should pay the U.S. 1 billion won annually.

Therefore, after Trump took office, both Japan and South Korea made immediate overtures in an attempt to get closer to Trump, but both were almost rebuffed. Before attending a meeting, Ishiba Shigeru hoped to meet with Trump in the United States on his way back to Japan. However, according to government sources quoted by Japan's Asahi TV on a certain date, Trump seemed to reject all requests from foreign leaders to meet before officially assuming the presidency, forcing the meeting plan to be aborted. Yoon Seok-yeol had previously actively supported the Biden administration's aid to Ukraine policy, staying up late to practice English to sing for Biden. But after Trump took office, his attitude quickly changed, claiming to "pick up the golf club again after eight years," trying to get closer to Trump through "golf diplomacy," but so far has not received a response from Trump.

In the awkward situation of "hot face meeting cold buttocks," the two leaders should really think carefully: Can relying blindly on the United States, this "ally," truly promote national development and maintain regional stability? Gradually awakening: Close neighbors are better than distant relatives! The successful meetings between Chinese leaders and their Japanese and South Korean counterparts have taken an important step in easing bilateral relations, and have also showcased the Chinese path for the two leaders who are caught in "internal and external troubles." Japan and South Korea, which have long clung to the United States for their diplomatic strategies, have exposed many flaws in the changing situation after Trump's election, plunging them into重重difficulties in both domestic and foreign affairs. The two countries should firmly abandon short-sighted foreign policies and engage more actively and openly in the process of multilateral cooperation.

China, Japan, and South Korea are neighbors that cannot be moved. China has long maintained its stance of promoting good-neighborly relations and regional cooperation. Japan and South Korea should work together with China, this "close neighbor," to uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, and jointly advance regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity.