THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen separates Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao ahead of the ASEAN+3 meeting in Phnom Penh on Nov. 19. But the Chinese leader does hold hands with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. (Teruo Kashiyama)
PHNOM PENH -- The trade ministers of Japan, China and South Korea on Nov. 20 agreed to start negotiations in early 2013 on a trilateral free trade agreement after their leaders showed a willingness to separate economic issues from their territorial disputes.