在2012年5月第五次中日韩领导人会议上，三国同意年内正式启动中日韩自贸区谈判。中日韩领导人取得这一共识，无疑对东北亚走出区域经济一体化的滞后状态具有关键意义。然而，随后东北亚地缘政治冲突风险的不断升级使得中日韩自贸区年内启动的前景变得不明朗。峰回路转，2012年11月20日，在柬埔寨金边召开的东亚领导人系列会议期间，中日韩三国经贸部长举行会晤，宣布启动中日韩自贸区谈判。显然，中日韩三国通过制度性合作加快国内经济结构转型、扩大地区性最终消费市场规模，已成为不可回避的长期趋势。就目前而言，率先启动中韩自贸区、以此推动中日韩自贸区是相对切实可行的路径选择。
In the fifth meeting of the leaders of China, Japan and ROK held in May 2012, the three countries agreed to launch China-Japan-ROK FTA negotiations by the end of 2012. There is no doubt that such consensus will help to pull out of the lagging state of regional economic cooperation in Northeast Asia. However, recent escalating geopolitical conflicts in Northeast Asia make the prospect of CJK FTA uncertain. Meanwhile, it has become a long-term trend that China, Japan and ROK will accelerate the structural transformation of their domestic economies and expand the regional consumer market. It is a feasible way to launch China-ROK FTA negotiations in order to promote the CJK FTA.
