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SEOUL: The leaders of South Korea, China and Japan reaffirmed their goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula on Monday, at a rare summit in which they also agreed to deepen trade ties.

The summit brought together South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul for the first trilateral negotiations between the two countries in nearly five years, partly due to the pandemic but also from previously deteriorated relationships.

Although North Korea was not officially on the agenda, hours before the leaders' meeting, Pyongyang announced that it would soon put another spy satellite into orbit – a move that violates a series of sanctions the UN prohibiting it from carrying out tests using ballistic technology.

At a joint news conference, Yoon and Kishida urged North Korea to cancel the launch, with the South Korean leader saying it would “harm regional and global peace and stability.”

Yoon also called for a “decisive” international response if Kim carries out his fourth such launch – aided by what Seoul claims is Russian technical assistance in exchange for Kim sending weapons to Moscow for use in Ukraine.

But China, North Korea's most important ally and economic benefactor, has remained notably silent on the issue, with Premier Li not speaking about it during the briefing.

In a joint statement issued after the negotiations, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to the “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” adding that peace “serves our common interest and is our common responsibility.”

North Korea immediately retaliated, saying in a statement from the Foreign Ministry spokesperson that “discussing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula today constitutes a serious political provocation.”

Any discussion of denuclearization “would violate our country's constitutional position as a nuclear-weapon state,” said the statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

“Such a thing as 'complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula' is already theoretically, practically and physically extinct,” the statement added.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has previously condemned North Korea's nuclear tests and supported sanctions aimed at curbing its weapons development.

In recent years, as relations between China and the United States have deteriorated, it has increasingly hampered Washington-led efforts to impose tougher sanctions on the North.

China has always supported calls for denuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula.

South Korea does not have nuclear weapons, but it is protected by the US nuclear umbrella, and Washington has deployed nuclear submarines to the South in a show of force against the North.

In recent years, Beijing has blamed joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises for escalating regional tensions.

The news conference in Seoul and the joint statement “clearly showed the difference of opinions” between the three countries, said Lee Dong-gyu, a researcher at the Asan Institute.

Reaching a quick consensus on how to deal with Kim Jong Un's regime will always be difficult “because there have been differences in each country's diplomatic and security positions,” Lee said.

Still, the fact that Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing are seeking to step up trilateral cooperation and strengthen economic ties is a good sign for future deals on tougher issues like Kim's nuclear issue.

“If the three countries do well in economic cooperation, they can cooperate on security issues on this basis,” he added.

The three countries announced on Monday that they would hold “discussions to accelerate negotiations on a trilateral FTA” and strengthen tripartite cooperation, including by holding regular summits.

China's Li also said they agreed not to turn “economic and trade issues into political games or security issues, and to reject protectionism and the decoupling or disruption of supply chains,” he said. reported Xinhua.

Li serves as prime minister under China's top leader, President Xi Jinping.

After their talks, Yoon, Li and Kishida attended a business summit aimed at boosting trade between the countries, which was also attended by top industry executives.

Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite last November.

Seoul said on Friday that South Korean and US intelligence services were “closely monitoring and tracking” preparations for another launch – which could take place as early as Monday, depending on the launch window given by Pyongyang to Tokyo.

A group of Russian engineers entered North Korea to help prepare for the launch, Yonhap news agency reported Sunday, citing a government official.

“North Korea may feel compelled to launch this satellite this week,” said Choi Gi-il, a professor of military studies at Sangji University.

“The weather conditions of the launch will be a key factor.”