Opportunities and Challenges in Contemporary China – Japan – South Korea Cooperation: The Cultural Aspect

As the three major economies in Northeast Asia, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea play a crucial role in promoting regional cooperation in Northeast Asia. The effectiveness of regional cooperation needs to be based on mutual trust through culture, and the cultural characteristics of different countries can reflect the political and economic relations between different countries, and at the same time also play a role in the establishment of cooperation mechanisms in different countries. China, Japan, and South Korea are geographically close to each other, with similar cultural characteristics and rapid development of cultural industries, each of which has formed its own unique cultural advantages. Under the support of the concept of the "Belt and Road Initiative" to build a community of common destiny for mankind, promoting cultural cooperation between China, Japan, and South Korea, achieving cultural tolerance and cultural identity among the economies will be conducive to deepening regional cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea. Therefore, it will significantly enhance the effect of regional cooperation. This paper will analyze the cultural foundation of the regional cooperation mechanism between China, Japan, and South Korea from the perspective of their cultural commonnesses and cultural differences, and at the same time point out the potential opportunities and challenges that China faces in cultural cooperation, so as to provide new perspectives for advancing multicultural identity and tolerance, and deepening cultural, political and economic cooperation.