China, S. Korea, Japan leaders to hold first summit since 2019

South Korea's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, Chung Byung-won, Japan's Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takehiro Funakoshi, and China's Assistant Foreign Minister, Nong Rong, pose for photographs during their meeting in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept 26, 202 - Reuters

BEIJING (AFP): China said on Tuesday (Sept 26) it had agreed with Japan and South Korea to hold a summit between the three countries' leaders "as early as possible", after a rare meeting between senior diplomats in Seoul.

The three-way talks -- attended by deputy and assistant ministers from the three countries -- were seen as an attempt to ease Beijing's concerns over Washington's deepening security ties with Tokyo and Seoul.