Japanese media report tripartite summit positively

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-15 14:08

TOKYO -- Japanese media responded positively to the tripartite summit of China, Japan and South Korea, which was held Saturday in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture.

In its Sunday editorial, the Yomiuri Daily said that since 1999, leaders of the three countries have held trilateral meetings on the sidelines of regional summit meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

A combination picture shows (L-R) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso and South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak speak to media during their joint news conference after their talks at Kyushu National Museum in Dazaifu, southern Japan December 13, 2008. [Agencies]

The fact that the tripartite summit will become a regular annual event indicates that relations between the three countries have entered a new stage, the article said.

As three economies decided to expand their currency swap deals, Japan and China, both holding huge amounts of foreign currency reserves, have undertaken an important role in efforts to overcome the crisis in Asia and the rest of the world, the article said.

The Asahi Shimbun said in its editorial that as the three countries would inevitably examine pricky issues concerning history and territory in bilateral talks, a trilateral meeting would help the topics change for the positive.

As the Japan-China strategic and mutually beneficial relations and Japan-South Korea "mature partnership" indicate, the paper said, the relations between the three nations have gone beyond the simply "friendly."

The trustful relationship between the leaders will lay a sound foundation for future settlement of bilateral issues as well as regional and global ones, it added.

The editorial also lauded the trilateral consensus on a regular summit meeting.

Meanwhile, the Nikkei Shimbun referred to the tripartite summit as a step made toward "common interests" among Japan, China and South Korea, saying the wording of the document signed during the summit was really "future-oriented."

To realize the conception of an East Asian Community, the three countries, accounting for some 70 percent in GDP and trade volume in East Asia, will play a very important role, Nikkei said.

The Mainichi Shimbun said the three countries would become the "axis for East Asia's stability" if their leaders conduct constructive talks regularly regardless of differences in their political setup as well as in the interpretation of history and territory issues.