China, Japan, and South Korea hold summit and discuss defusing the North Korean nuclear threat

Political and economic relations among China, Japan, and South Korea have been strenuous and recently the three East Asian nations gathered for talks to improve their taut relations. 

SEE ALSO: Korean conglomerates shift to English-first work culture as global expansion accelerates

The meeting began around 10:00 AM (KST) in Seoul on Sunday, presided by the leaders of the three countries present: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and South Korea President Park Geun Hye. This marks the first trilateral meeting held in three and a half years, where the three leaders declared that they have completely restored trade and security ties. 

The focus of this meeting was directed at enhancing economic cooperation through integration, addressing Japan's past wartime atrocities, and discussing the "denuclearizing" of North Korea. 

Abe, Li, and Park have agreed to recommence trilateral meetings, which haven't been held since 2012. These meetings were put to a halt when China and Korea's enmity towards Japan were heightened. However, the three leaders are now attempting to assuage the tension among the three countries and set aside their past territorial and historical disputes.