Foreign ministers from Japan, China and South Korea sought trilateral cooperation on common ground in areas like aging, declining births, natural disasters and the green economy at a meeting that took place at a time of growing tensions.

The talks in Tokyo followed a rare summit in May in Seoul where the three neighbours--riven by historical and territorial disputes--agreed to deepen trade ties and restated their goal of a denuclearised Korean peninsula.

Surveys show Japanese firms in China have become more pessimistic about doing business in China due to rising geopolitical tensions, fraying bilateral ties and stiff competition from Chinese firms. Still, the scale and close proximity of the Chinese market means it’s in Japan’s interest to maintain stable relations.