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Foreign Policy Oceania August 30, 2025

Asia-Pacific Diplomacy in Late August 2025

In the last week of August 2025, two interesting events occurred in the Asia-Pacific region. First, on August 23rd, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo. A few days later, from August 24th to 27th, South Korea sent a high-level trade delegation to Beijing. Taken together, these two events reveal how South Korea and Japan have each chosen different approaches to respond to the ongoing US tariff hikes. The Japan-South Korea meeting was both symbolic and a pragmatic endeavor. Historical and trade frictions have historically strained relations between the two countries. But the situation has changed, and both sides recognize the need for cooperation. In Tokyo, Lee Jae-myung and Ishiba Shigeru discussed defense cooperation, joint research in artificial intelligence, and youth exchange. Most notably, they decided to resume “shuttle diplomacy”—frequent visits to each other’s countries—after a near-absence of the previous decade. U.S. trade policy was also a key topic of discussion during the meeting. The Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on Japanese exports in early August, impacting South Korea as well. This brought Japan and South Korea together under shared pressure. While both countries still need to cooperate with the United States, the meeting demonstrated their commitment to reducing their reliance on unilateral U.S. decision-making.

Japan and South Korea are also affected by US tariffs, but South Korea’s reaction is a little different. At the end of August, South Korea sent a high-level trade delegation directly to Beijing, hoping to share risks through cooperation with China. After all, South Korea’s exports of automobiles, semiconductors, and consumer goods have been greatly impacted. The delegation mainly discussed supply chains, digital economy projects, and cultural exchanges. China welcomed this and saw it as a good opportunity to expand its influence. It can be seen that South Korea’s thinking is more flexible: while maintaining its alliance with the United States, it strengthens cooperation with China, which is a “playing both sides” strategy. In contrast, Japan is more inclined to focus on its relationship with the United States.

Taken together, these two events clearly highlight the differences between the two countries. Japan prefers to continue trilateral cooperation with the United States, Japan, and South Korea, strengthening security and political ties to address economic uncertainty. South Korea, on the other hand, is more pragmatic, understanding that it cannot rely solely on the United States, and is therefore actively exploring channels for cooperation with China. Overall, this suggests that middle powers in the Asia-Pacific are adopting a multi-faceted approach. They all recognize the uncertainty of US economic policies, while China’s market influence is growing. Consequently, allies and neighbors alike are increasingly considering cooperation with China.

The Japan-South Korea meeting and the visit of the South Korean-Chinese trade delegation at the end of August, though just a few days apart, revealed a complex diplomatic landscape. South Korea faces a constant balancing act between Washington, Tokyo, and Beijing, while Japan prioritizes solidarity with the United States. Both countries share a commonality: both are being forced to adjust their strategies by US protectionism. The future Asia-Pacific order will likely be slowly shaped through this back-and-forth and game-playing.

By Zihan Wang

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