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China's readiness to participate in the upcoming trilateral summit between South Korea and Japan is based on strategic motives, which are aimed at safeguarding its regional interests amid escalating pressure on Beijing from the U.S.-led alliance with Seoul and Tokyo, according to diplomatic observers.

According to the South Korean foreign ministry, the three nations are in talks to set a specific date to host a long-stalled trilateral summit next month. The trilateral summit has been on hold since 2019 and Korea is the current rotating chair.

"In recent years, China has been seeking to pull South Korea from the South Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance. However, despite their efforts, they have not yielded significant results," said Kang Jun-young, a professor of Chinese Studies at the Graduate School of International Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Beijing has made efforts to have Seoul distance itself from Washington as it perceives Korea as the weakest link in the U.S. alliance network.

In addition, given that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration was inaugurated (two years ago) and South Korea is scheduled to hold general elections next week, China seems to be actively trying to participate in the talks to explore relations with South Korea, according to Kang.

"China believes that a clear enhancement should take place even on a bilateral level with South Korea," Kang said.

Along with the goal, Kang said the envisaged meeting is less burdensome for China because it usually deals with economic, social and cultural issues rather than political and diplomatic ones.

"China will seek to minimize political and diplomatic discussions that could potentially align South Korea and Japan against China. South Korea should assert its interests while refraining from engaging in joint agendas with China and Japan during the trilateral summit talks," he said.

The agenda for the trilateral summit is expected to include North Korea's acceleration of its nuclear and missile development.

During this summit, South Korea and Japan may seek to utilize China's influence to exert pressure on North Korea to halt its nuclear and missile development programs — although it is unlikely to pay off.

"It's not like Xi Jinping is coming; the Chinese prime minister is coming. It won't have much impact on the Korean Peninsula. I think the meeting of the three countries' leaders is meaningful, but it's unlikely to create a turning point that will dramatically change the situation on the Korean Peninsula," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

"It would probably just be about confirming the existing differences in positions. In the current situation, trying to turn this confrontation on the Korean Peninsula into dialogue would be insufficient."

The South Korea-China-Japan summit, which has been convened since 2008 with South Korea, Japan and China alternating as the chair, last convened in December 2019 in Chengdu, China.