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 committing 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. ■
