China, Japan, S. Korea should play more proactive role in promoting regional, global development: Wang Yi

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the tenth trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Busan, South Korea, Nov. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)

BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- China, Japan and South Korea should play a more proactive role in promoting regional and global development facing accelerating changes unseen in a century and the slow recovery of the world economy, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Busan, South Korea.

Wang said that China-Japan-South Korea cooperation has become the multilateral cooperation framework with the highest degree of institutionalization, the widest coverage and the richest connotation in East Asia, which has effectively served the development of the three countries and benefited the people in the region.

Following the policy of building friendship and partnership with its neighbors, China will continue to work with South Korea and Japan to bring trilateral cooperation back on track, maintain sound, stable and sustainable development, and make new contributions to regional and world peace and prosperity, said Wang.

The top priority is to continue to respect each other's development path and core interests, properly handle sensitive issues and maintain sound bilateral relations, so as to lay a solid foundation for a comprehensive restart of trilateral cooperation featuring steady and long-term progress, he stressed.

Wang stressed that the three countries should stick to mutual benefit and win-win results, restart negotiations on the trilateral free trade agreement among China, Japan and South Korea as soon as possible, maintain the momentum of regional economic integration, improve the multi-channel and multi-level regional free trade arrangements, and contribute to the common goal of pushing for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

The three countries should deepen scientific and technological innovation, expand people-to-people exchanges, enhance the resilience of development, and promote common and sustainable development, Wang said.

Park and Kamikawa spoke highly of the progress made in China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, saying that the three countries are inseparable neighbors and trilateral cooperation is of great significance and great potential.

Facing the new situation, the three countries should review the original aspiration of cooperation, strengthen communication and promote cooperation in various fields, and bring more tangible results to the people of the three countries, they said.

The three parties can carry out substantive cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science, technology and digital transformation, people-to-people exchanges, environmental protection and aging, and continuously expand common interests, they said.

The three sides agreed to create conditions for the China-Japan-South Korea leaders' meeting and step up relevant preparatory work.

The three parties exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

Wang pointed out that as important countries in the Asia-Pacific region, China, Japan and South Korea should base themselves on the peaceful development of the region and interests of the people to deepen regional cooperation, jointly cope with risks and challenges, and safeguard regional peace and prosperity.

The three countries should promote East Asia cooperation through trilateral cooperation, adhere to open regionalism, oppose ideological demarcation, and resist turning regional cooperation into camp politics, he said.

The three countries should practice the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and resolve differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation and by peaceful means, Wang said.

Noting that the continued tension on the Korean Peninsula serves the interests of no one, he said the top priority is to cool down the situation, create necessary conditions for the resumption of dialogue and take meaningful actions.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Wang also held bilateral meetings with Park and Kamikawa respectively.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the tenth trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Busan, South Korea, Nov. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)