China, Japan, South Korea meet in summit on North Korea

The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea met in Tokyo on Wednesday (May 9) in a powerful gesture of solidarity against a backdrop of historic diplomatic moves by North Korea and a push for the isolated country to give up its nuclear weapons.

Previously held in Seoul in 2015, the three-way summit has regularly brought together the East Asian neighbours, but this week's gathering comes amid an unusual period of calm between ties often beset by territorial and historical disputes.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that building cooperative relations is extremely important for the region as a whole, as well as to achieving the complete denuclearisation of North Korea. Abe will also hold separate meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is on a state visit - the first by a Chinese premier since 2010.