NIPPON



 

A meeting of culture ministers from Japan, China, and South Korea, scheduled for Monday in Macau, has been postponed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a press conference Thursday.

Mao said that the foundation and atmosphere for trilateral cooperation have been destroyed by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remark on a possible Taiwan contingency. The conditions for holding a meeting among the countries are not in place, she also said.

With the Japan-China rift over Takaichi's remark spilling over into three-way ties, the prospect of an early summit in Japan among the three East Asian neighbors has become dim.

According to a source in South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Beijing requested the postponement on Tuesday.

The three countries had sought to hold a summit in Japan, but this has faced scheduling difficulties due to a presidential election in South Korea and the resignation of Takaichi's predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba.