Leaders from China, Japan and South Korea agreed on Sunday to
hold meetings on a rotating basis to further enhance political
trust.
At the Seventh Trilateral Leaders' Meeting of China, Japan and
South Korea in Cebu, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun agreed for the first such
meeting to be held between the leaders in China this year.
During the meeting held in Cebu, the second largest city of the
Philippines, the three leaders further reached consensus on
improving political trust among the three East Asian countries.
First, it was agreed that communications should be strengthened
by the three leaders while maintaining the existing mechanism of
trilateral meetings. They will hold the aforesaid meetings, should
a need arise, in one of the three countries on a rotating
basis.
Secondly, the leaders agreed to establish a trilateral mechanism
of regular consultations among senior foreign affairs officials to
communicate on issues of common concern and accurately handle the
concerns of each country.
Thirdly, a shared desire was expressed to promote cooperation on
trade, investment and energy. They agreed to initiate trilateral
investment arrangement negotiations and to explore a mechanism of
trilateral quality inspection.
Fourthly, the leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation on trade,
economy, information industry, environmental protection,
development of human resources and culture. A number of new
priorities were jointly named for trilateral cooperation, including
finance, science and technology, public health, tourism, logistics
and distribution, youth and teenager communications.
Finally, the leaders agreed to promote cultural exchanges in a
bid to enhance understanding and friendship among the people of the
three countries. The three countries will jointly hold the "Year of
Cultural Exchanges among China, Japan and Republic of Korea" in
2007.
China will hold the Ninth Asian Art Festival under the theme of
Chinese, Japanese and South Korean cultures.
Wen called the strengthening of cooperation between China, Japan
and South Korea as conforming to the common aspiration of all
people in the region, and to the common expectations of the
international community and the trend of the times.
On the Korean nuclear issue, Wen emphasized China's
adherence to peaceful resolution of the issue through dialogue and
negotiation so as to?achieve denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula and to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula and
in Northeast Asia at large.
Under active mediation by China and with joint efforts from all
parties concerned, he said, the process of six-party talks resumed
after a 13-month stalemate.
Wen said the six-party talks, as a practical and effective means
to solve the nuclear issue, creates an important communication and
consultation platform for all parties aiding in building a new
model in Northeast Asia.
Wen said China is ready to make joint efforts with Japan and
South Korea to hold sound consultations with other parties, strive
for progress and realize denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula.
Abe and Roh said Japan and South Korea will strive for peaceful
resolution of the nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.
They expressed their willingness to strengthen communication and
cooperation with China to expedite the process of the six-party
talks.
On cooperation in East Asia, Wen said China, Japan and South
Korea should continue to promote the cooperation in the spirit of
openness, inclusiveness, tolerance, and win-win results of mutual
benefit.
Wen said ASEAN's leading role in East Asia cooperation should be
respected, and ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea)
should be regarded as the main channel in pushing forward East Asia
cooperation.
The leaders of the three countries maintained that their meeting
was frank, practical and fruitful, which clarified the direction of
trilateral cooperation in the future.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)