China said on Tuesday it has agreed with Japan and South Korea to hold a summit between the three countries' leaders "as early as possible", after a meeting between senior diplomats in Seoul.

The three-way talks, attended by deputy and assistant ministers from the three countries, were seen as an attempt to ease Beijing's concerns over Washington's deepening security ties with Tokyo and Seoul.

The South Korean foreign ministry said specific dates remained under discussion and that the countries' foreign ministers would meet "in a couple of months".

"It was agreed that carrying out cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea is in the common interests of the three parties," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in Beijing.

"We should work together to strengthen practical cooperation... and make new contributions to regional peace, stability, and prosperity."

Wang added that the foreign ministers' meeting is to promote "the holding of a leaders' meeting as early as possible at a time convenient to all three countries."

The three countries had agreed to hold a summit every year starting in 2008 to foster regional cooperation, but that initiative has been frayed by bilateral feuds and the Covid-19 pandemic. The last summit was in 2019. (Agencies)