Goodwill should be turned into actions for trilateral cooperation and exchanges

Even those trying to sow discord among the three neighbors in recent years cannot deny the fruitful outcomes of the first Trilateral Summit Meeting of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea in five years that concluded in Seoul on Monday.

Attended by Premier Li Qiang, ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the meeting demonstrated the shared willingness of the three countries to expand common interests, if not a more mature model to get along with each other featuring more tolerance toward disputes and differences than before. The three parties issued not only a joint declaration of the meeting, but also several joint statements on their cooperation in different fields over the coming decade, and agreed to designate 2025-26 as the China-Japan-ROK Year of Cultural Exchange. In doing so, the three neighbors showed they are taking the initiative to repair their ties that have been damaged by the divisive efforts of Washington.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of their trilateral cooperation mechanism, which had stalled since December 2019. The three neighbors need to firmly stand by the shared commitment that gave birth to this mechanism of cooperation, and uphold openness, inclusiveness, mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual learning. Drawing on their experiences, the three countries need to build on past achievements, and regalvanize and accelerate their trilateral cooperation. The proposals Li put forward in the meeting to deepen the trilateral cooperation are all pertinent to removing the obstacles hindering regional cooperation.