Japan: A time to heal

The fourth meeting of leaders from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) since 2008 will give China a chance to strengthen its ties with its two East Asian neighbors. The two-day meeting from Saturday will also create opportunities for trilateral cooperation based on mutual trust and reciprocity, which many say has become a necessity after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan.

Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese and ROK prime ministers will hold in-depth talks on issues of regional and international importance, including the situation in Northeast Asia, the recovery of the world economy and East Asian cooperation. They are expected to chart the future of trilateral cooperation in fields such as nuclear safety, disaster management, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The meeting will be held in the backdrop of Japan's tragedy, in which 15,057 people were killed and 9,121 went missing. The earthquake and the tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, too. And Japan is still battling to bring its nuclear reactors under control.