Japan and South Korea shared with the United States the global functions of deterring China through “nuclear sharing” and the Arctic QUAD

On May 26-27, 2024, Seoul hosted the first leadership summit of Japan, South Korea, and China in four years to harmonize regional US “competition rules” in the economy.

Previously, Beijing blocked this format of cooperation because it wanted to ensure that the Japanese and South Korean governments fulfilled China’s ultimatum, anti-American demands.

Xi did not attend the summit, delegating Premier Li Keqiang, the formal head of the Chinese executive branch, who has been permanently deprived of the right to make state decisions since 2024, to the talks.