In recent decades, the development of trilateral institutions among China, Japan and Korea has begun to take shape. The three countries initiated the first independent Trilateral Summit mechanism in 2008 and established a Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat in 2011. Nonetheless, trilateral cooperation at the political-diplomatic level remains unstable at present. The periodic ups and downs caused by political discord have repeatedly posed serious challenges to the stability and sustainability of the trilateral relationship. This study looks at the institution building of trilateral cooperation, and analyzes its strengths and weaknesses. We first examine the achievements of trilateral cooperation, and find that a pyramid “summitminister- working level” structure of institution building has been established. In the meantime, pragmatic cooperation have been steadily advanced, with over 20 ministerial consultation mechanisms and specific projects established in a wide range of fields. Second, we investigate the problems and challenges for trilateral cooperation. Trilateral cooperation has revealed its vulnerability and susceptibility to its three pairs of bilateral relationships. Thus, the framework of trilateral cooperation is still far from an authentic multilateral arrangement, but can more accurately be characterized as the aggregate of three embedded pairs of bilateral relationships. Third, this study discusses future visions of trilateral cooperation, and takes notice of its two significant functions, that is, to provide a diplomatic buffering to bilateral conflicts and to serve as an extra-regional coordination mechanism for three countries’ business and economic interests. Finally, the study aims to make several policy recommendations for the future of trilateral cooperation.
동북아시아문화학회 [The Association of North-east Asian Cultures]
설립연도
2000
분야
복합학>학제간연구
소개
동북아시아 문화의 다양성과 정체성을 연구 토론하고, 지역내 문화 교류의 다양한 모습을 연구하고 문화변동의 큰 틀을 집적함으로써 우리 민족 문화 및 상대 민족의 문화적 터전을 이해하여 문화공동체적 특성을 계발하고 상호 관련성의 강화를 유도하는 학술활동을 통해 동북아시아의 문화발전에 이바지함.