Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, last month cited racial solidarity as one motive. The China-Japan-South Korea ('CJK') trio may well reconvene soon nonetheless, initially at vice-ministerial level. Rival trilateral groupings are also in play: the United States, Japan and South Korea will hold a summit on August 18.
The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat will promote a wide range of working-level cooperation, regardless of higher-level political weather.
All three will risk mutual antagonism by building up their militaries, Tokyo and Seoul also by strengthening alliances with Washington.
Tokyo and Seoul both feel threatened by China, but their approach to China is likely to remain much less confrontational than Washington's.
Domestic politics, and probably conviction, drive Japan-bashing in China and South Korea, and shows of 'unrepentant' nationalism in Japan.
Any medium-term future in which Tokyo and Seoul align with Beijing against Washington is almost impossible to envisage.
