China-Japan-ROK cooperation

Editor's note: China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday released a white paper titled China-Japan-ROK Cooperation (1999-2012) reviewing the history of trilateral friendly exchanges and showcasing the achievements of trilateral practical cooperation. It also envisions the broad prospects of tripartite relations. Following is the full text of the document:

Preface

China, Japan and the Republic of Korea are close neighbors, separated merely by a strip of waters. The three countries enjoy geographic proximity, cultural affinity and time-honored friendship. Since the beginning of the 21st century, exchanges and cooperation among China, Japan and the ROK have become more frequent and ever closer, delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of the three countries.

In 1999, the leaders of China, Japan and the ROK joined in a breakfast meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Plus Three (10+3) Summit in the Philippines, which marked the beginning of the trilateral cooperation process. In 2008, the leaders of the three countries met for the first time outside the 10+3 framework, taking trilateral cooperation into a new phase.

After more than ten years of development of the cooperation, the three countries have instituted an increasingly mature trilateral dialogue mechanism, steadily moved forward cooperation in various fields, and deepened mutual understanding and mutual trust. The three countries have established a future-oriented comprehensive cooperative partnership, conducted ever closer economic cooperation and vibrant people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and further enhanced communication and coordination in regional and international affairs. The trilateral cooperation not only provides an important platform for China, Japan and the ROK to enhance good-neighborliness and friendship and expand common interests, but also constitutes an important part of East Asia cooperation.

As the coordinator for this year's trilateral cooperation, China will host the Fifth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and the ROK. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, the China-Japan Year of Friendly Exchanges, the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK, and the Year of China-ROK Friendly Exchanges. On this auspicious occasion, we publish this handbook to review the history of trilateral friendly exchanges, showcase the achievements of trilateral practical cooperation and envision the broad prospects of tripartite relations.

I.

Overview of the trilateral cooperation

In November 1999, then Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and ROK President Kim Daejong attended a breakfast meeting on the sidelines of the 10+3 Summit in the Philippines, which marked the beginning of the trilateral cooperation process. The leaders of the three countries decided to turn the trilateral meeting into a regular event in 2000, which was later replaced by an official trilateral leaders' meeting in 2002. Since then, the meetings have been held, in principle, back-to-back with the annual 10+3 Summit and the leaders have had 11 such meetings.

In December 2008, the leaders of the three countries met for the first time outside the 10+3 framework in Fukuoka, Japan, and decided to build a future-oriented comprehensive cooperative partnership. The three countries also decided to hold separate annual trilateral summit meetings on a rotating basis while keeping the mechanism of trilateral leaders' meeting on the sidelines of the 10+3 Summit.

In October 2009, the Second Trilateral Summit Meeting was held in Beijing to commemorate the 10th anniversary of trilateral cooperation. In May 2010, the Third Trilateral Summit Meeting was held in Jeju, the ROK, during which the leaders of the three countries shared their vision for trilateral cooperation in the next ten years. In May 2011, against the backdrop of the severe disasters in Japan, the leaders of the three countries attended the Fourth Trilateral Summit Meeting in Tokyo, Japan, and agreed to expand trilateral cooperation in earthquake, disaster management, nuclear safety and other fields. This year, China will host the Fifth Trilateral Summit Meeting.

In 2002, the three countries identified economy and trade, information and communications industry, environmental protection, human resources development and culture as the five priority areas for trilateral cooperation. In 2007, six new areas, i.e. finance, science and technology, logistics, health, tourism and youth exchanges, were added to the list of cooperation priorities. China, Japan and the ROK are now carrying out practical cooperation in over 20 areas, covering the economic, social and other dimensions of the relations among them.

The main documents on China-Japan-ROK cooperation include the Joint Declaration on the Promotion of Tripartite Cooperation (2003), the Joint Press Statement of the Seventh Summit Meeting (2007), the Joint Statement for Tripartite Partnership (2008), the Joint Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of Trilateral Cooperation (2009), the Trilateral Cooperation VISION 2020 (2010) and the Declaration of the Fourth Trilateral Summit Meeting (2011).

After more than ten years of development of the cooperation, the three countries have established a full-fledged mechanism for cooperation, and formed an all-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging cooperation framework with the Trilateral Summit Meeting at its core, and supported by 18 ministerial meetings in areas like foreign policy, economy and trade, science and technology and culture and over 50 working-level mechanisms. In September 2011, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) was established in Seoul with the aim of providing quality, efficient and professional services and support for trilateral cooperation. The achievements made over the past decade and more prove that stronger cooperation among China, Japan and the ROK serves the fundamental interests of the three countries and peoples, and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the region.

China attaches great importance to trilateral cooperation and plays an active part in the cooperation process. Chinese premiers have attended all the trilateral summit meetings. China has actively participated in and hosted a series of ministerial meetings, senior officials' meetings and director-general's (DG) meetings within the trilateral framework, initiated, hosted or participated in diverse forms of cooperation projects in a wide range of areas, facilitated the deepening of trilateral cooperation and promoted the institutional building of a more rule-based cooperation. China has played an important role in strengthening the foundation and upgrading the level of trilateral cooperation.

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