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Interactions key to success of meeting of leaders of three countries, Li says

By ZHANG YUNBI (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2016-03-16 15:17:58

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Interactions key to success of meeting of leaders of three countries, Li says

Premier Li Keqiang arrives for the news conference after the closing meeting of the fourth session of China's 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 16, 2016. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn]


Premier Li Keqiang said whether the China-Japan-Republic of Korea leaders' meeting will enjoy smooth development in the future "is very much up to the interactions among the three countries".

"In particular, there has been some signs of improvement of Sino-Japanese ties, but it is not fully cemented yet and it is still fragile," Li said in response to a question about the meeting at a Wednesday press conference in Beijing.

Li noted that last year he went to the ROK and attended the sixth trilateral leaders' meeting. "This meeting should have been an annual event, however, it was only resumed last year after a three-year hiatus, and this has not come easily," he said.

On China-Japan ties, Li said: "We believe that it is important to adhere to the consensus reached between the two sides on the issue of principle involving history, and it is important to match one's words with concrete actions."

"What I don't want to see is another disruption in the holding of such a meeting (among the three countries)," he added.

Talking about the relationship among China, Japan and the ROK, Li referred to a lighthearted topic - the recent match between the ROK champion and AlphaGo, the match between human and computer.

"It has become a very hot topic in all the three countries, and I think that shows in a way that there is much commonality culturally among the three countries," Li said.

There should be wisdom among the three countries, or between China and Japan, "in boosting smart manufacturing and science and technologies to develop high quality products that can better meet consumer needs".

Li noted that the economy of the three countries accounts for one-fifth of the global total and 70 percent of the Asian total.

"I believe there are many complementarities among us and if we can leverage these complementarities, we can do even better in global markets," Li said.