Tokyo and Seoul should think big

Japan has reportedly approved shipments of a high-tech material to the Republic of Korea for the second time since imposing export curbs last month ahead of a meeting between Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his ROK counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in Beijing on Wednesday.

The move is being viewed as a positive sign ahead of their talks on Wednesday in which their Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, is expected to mediate. There are hopes that with Beijing's mediation, Tokyo and Seoul will be able to ease their current trade frictions.

In fact, the resumption of trilateral foreign ministers' meeting alone, the first such trilateral gathering in three years, shows the three countries still have a strong political will to strengthen cooperation at the trilateral level even while they may have disputes at the bilateral level.