TOKYO – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have agreed to further strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation.

Wang made the remarks while meeting the press together with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and ROK Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul after attending the 11th China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

The three countries fully affirmed the positive progress made in their cooperation since the Ninth China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit, said the Chinese diplomat.

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They agreed that against the backdrop of a complex and turbulent international landscape and sluggish recovery of the world economy, it is necessary and responsible for the three sides to further strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and provide more stabilizing factors for regional peace and development, he added.

Wang said the ministers agreed to consolidate the momentum of cooperation.

The three countries will stay true to the original aspiration of cooperation, focus on the Trilateral Cooperation Vision for the Next Decade, and expand new areas, cultivate new growth drivers, and create new highlights of cooperation on the basis of implementing the cooperation centered on six key areas determined by the leaders' meeting last year.

The three parties had useful communication on holding the 10th China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit within this year, and will strive to create favorable conditions and atmosphere for this purpose, according to Wang.

The foreign ministers agreed that the three countries will continue to communicate on restarting the negotiations on the trilateral free trade agreement, promoting the expansion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and maintaining the stability and smoothness of regional production and supply chains.

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The three countries will keep pace with the times to build a highland of scientific and technological innovation in Asia and promote the development of new quality productive forces.

The diplomats also agreed to deepen exchanges and mutual learning.

China, Japan and the ROK will smoothly hold the China-Japan-ROK Year of Cultural Exchange from 2025 to 2026, strive to increase the number of people-to-people exchanges among the three countries to 40 million by 2030, and consolidate the public opinion basis for trilateral cooperation.

Strengthening cooperation in social welfare, green and low-carbon development and other fields can bring more and better benefits to the people of our three countries, said Wang.

The three countries will strengthen coordination and cooperation under mechanisms such as ASEAN Plus Three and the East Asia Summit, promote "Trilateral+X Cooperation" to the surrounding areas, and drive common development in the region.

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Wang said they will support each other in hosting APEC meetings, promote open regionalism, uphold multilateralism and free trade, and push for a more universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

The three countries fully affirmed the work of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, and agreed to extend the term of the Secretariat's consultative committee, looking forward to the Secretariat playing a greater role in promoting trilateral cooperation, he added.