Convergence Beyond Alliances: Tracing the Strategic Convergence of China, Japan, and South Korea

Geopolitics enthusiasts, we smell the brewing of the New World Order, and yes, of course, it does involve China, but here is a slight twist to it. The Big Three or the Asian Tigers, whatever you would like to call them, are gaining significant traction, primarily due to their proactive effort to safeguard regional and economic stability. But the larger question remains: is this convergence limited to strengthening the regional order, or does it extend to challenging America’s global dominance, especially in light of the current tariff war?

Illustration by The Geostrata

THE TRADE DYNAMICS THROUGH MANUFACTURING

China, the world’s manufacturing hub and second-largest economy, is soon projected to take over the US as the global hegemon. Be it industrial production, rare earth minerals, or digital finance, China is clearly spearheading global advancements in both infrastructure as well as innovation.

Moreover, we have Japan, which is currently the fifth-largest economy in the world and specializes in high-value engineering, robotics, and automobile manufacturing. In regard to this, South Korea serves as a perfect connector, amalgamating Japan’s technological expertise with China’s manufacturing scale.

To get a clear picture of these trade dynamics, it is imperative to note that South Korea's semiconductors and vehicle parts, along with Japan's high-end manufacturing and chemical products, have secured significant footholds in Chinese markets.

Conversely, China's agricultural products, home appliances, and industrial goods have been consistently expanding their presence in Japan and South Korea. 

More so, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out in the sixth China-Japan Economic Dialogue that since the normalisation of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, bilateral trade has increased more than 300 times and has remained at a high level of 300 billion U.S. dollars for 15 consecutive years, with the cumulative bilateral investment reaching nearly 140 billion U.S. dollars.

COUNTERING THE US BEYOND TARIFFS

Concurrently, Trump’s famous "tariffs" have had a profound impact on the global economic landscape, igniting dramatic shifts in foreign policy, instability, and economic downturn. This insecurity has, in turn, led to greater cooperation amongst the Asian tigers, both on economic as well as security fronts.

Regarding this, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao stated that the three countries, as major regional and global economies, must make joint efforts to safeguard free trade and the multilateral trading system.

Thereafter, Japan and South Korea have recognized that deepening cooperation with China offers them a means to expand diplomatic options, safeguard their economic interests, and hedge against the risk posed by the US.

Beyond the tariffs, there is a different dimension to it. The Trump-style climate hoax adds more fuel to this fire. Donald Trump, as we know, has long been a critic of climate science and of policies aimed at helping the world transition to green energies like wind and solar.

But recently, all of this erupted to a whole new level when the U.S. President, in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, declared: ‘This climate change, it’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world. All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong.’

This eventually paved the way for Chinese Ecology and Environment Minister Huang Runqiu to vow to ‘push for international cooperation’ in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to address climate change.

Similarly, South Korean counterpart Kim Sung Hwan stressed the need to transition to a decarbonized society. Ultimately, the three countries drew up a joint action plan covering five years from 2026, focusing on eight priority areas, including tackling plastic waste and ensuring transparent greenhouse gas emissions data through satellite-based measurement technology.

DEEPENING TIES THROUGH HIGH-LEVEL EXCHANGES

Amid the tumultuous international situation, the foreign ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea met in Tokyo for the 11th Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on March 22. It was the first meeting of the three nations’ foreign ministers since 2023. Moreover, South Korea will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on October 31–November 1, 2025, a highly anticipated event facilitating Asia-Pacific economic dialogue. It will be interesting to observe the shifts in political momentum that these high-level exchanges will generate.

Another key reality in East Asia is that, with Lee Jae-myung assuming the presidency, South Korea has not taken an anti-Japanese stance. In fact, he is committed to fostering cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea. On June 10, during a call with President Xi Jinping, Lee said that he attaches immense importance to the South Korea-China relations and further plans to work with the Chinese side to foster in-depth development of the friendly relations between the two nations and subsequently achieve fruitful results in the South Korea-China cooperation. 

CONCLUSION

Conclusively, we trace a structural change in the geopolitical landscape where China, Japan, and South Korea are not only responding to external pressures but, more importantly, shaping the new world order. By infusing certainty during uncertain times, they intend to directly challenge the US hegemony and fuel the rise of alternative power structures, one that prioritises regional stability, technological prowess, and sustainable growth.

Therefore, this development unravels a game-changing trajectory in world politics, breaking away from America’s Hegemony and invoking Asia’s rise, this time not as a passive recipient but rather as a flagbearer of the world order.

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BY URJA

TEAM GEOSTRATA

info@thegeostrata.com