Chinese premier urges China, Japan, S. Korea to stick to original aspiration for cooperation

SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and make joint efforts to resume and accelerate China-Japan-South Korea cooperation so as to make greater contributions to regional prosperity and stability.

Li made the remarks at the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea.

As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation mechanism, Li said that at this new starting point, China, Japan and South Korea should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and uphold openness, inclusiveness, mutual respect and trust, mutual benefit and mutual learning.

He said that the three sides should upgrade and speed up China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, embark on a new journey of comprehensive development, and contribute more to regional prosperity and stability.

Li put forward a five-point proposal on deepening China-Japan-South Korea cooperation. The first is to promote the comprehensive restart of cooperation, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, fully tap the potential for cooperation, steadily facilitate growth, and foster positive interplay between bilateral relations and trilateral cooperation.

The second is to deepen economic and trade connectivity, maintain the stability and smoothness of the industrial chain and supply chain, and resume and complete the negotiations of the China-Japan-South Korea free trade agreement as soon as possible.

The third is to lead scientific and technological innovation cooperation and strengthen collaborative innovation and cooperation in frontier fields. China will establish a China-Japan-South Korea Innovation Cooperation Center in China to help the three countries accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers.

The fourth is to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges and take the opportunity of the China-Japan-South Korea 2025-2026 Year of Cultural Exchange to bring closer the hearts of the three neighbors.

The fifth is to strive to promote sustainable development, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of low-carbon transformation, climate change, aging population, and epidemic response, among others, and explore and carry out more "China-Japan-South Korea + X" cooperation projects.

Li pointed out that the current situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense. All parties should play a constructive role by staying committed to easing tensions, restarting dialogue as soon as possible, and advancing the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue, so as to safeguard peace and stability in the region.

China, Japan, and South Korea should leverage their respective development strengths to create a new engine for regional cooperation that actively addresses the needs of ASEAN and other neighboring countries. The three countries should work together to boost the momentum of ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, he said.

China is willing to work with South Korea and Japan to vigorously promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and jointly safeguard long-term stability and security in the region and the world at large, Li said.

The leaders of South Korea and Japan said that the resumption of trilateral cooperation after more than four years is of great significance. They hoped that the three countries will take this summit as a new starting point to maintain the stability and continuity of cooperation and deepen cooperation in six key areas: culture and people-to-people exchanges, sustainable development, economy and trade, public health, science and technology, and disaster relief.

They also hoped that the three countries will resume the trilateral FTA negotiations, jointly promote regional cooperation in East Asia, tackle climate change and other global challenges, and foster the steady development of relations among South Korea, Japan, and China so as to bring greater benefits to the peoples of the three countries and make greater contribution to world peace and prosperity.

After the meeting, leaders of the three countries jointly met the press.

Li said that in the face of new challenges and new opportunities, China-Japan-South Korea cooperation should shoulder new responsibilities and make new progress.

China is willing to take this summit as an opportunity to work with South Korea and Japan to promote steady and sustained China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, Li said.

The three sides issued the Joint Declaration of the Ninth China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit, the Joint Statement on a 10 Year Vision for Trilateral IP Cooperation, and the Joint Statement on Future Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.

They agreed to deliver on the Trilateral Cooperation Vision for the Next Decade adopted at the eighth Trilateral Summit Meeting, set up mechanisms for the trilateral cooperation, maintain close communication and cooperation under APT and other multilateral frameworks, and jointly uphold peace, stability and prosperity of the world. The three sides agreed to designate 2025-2026 the China-Japan-ROK Year of Cultural Exchange.