Special report: Premier Wen attends int'l meetings, visits Singapore          

Backgrounder: Previous trilateral leaders' meeting between China, Japan and S Korea    

    SINGAPORE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of China, Japan and South Korea met here Tuesday to strengthen cooperation between the three countries.

    Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun attended the eighth meeting of leaders of the three countries.

(L-R) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda shake hands before the start of the eighth meeting of leaders of China, Japan and South Korea in Singapore on Nov. 20, 2007. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    In his speech, Premier Wen spoke highly of the improvement and sound development of trilateral ties and fruitful cooperation among the three countries over the past year.

    As the three nations share broad common interests, and have solid foundation and great potential for further cooperation, they should handle their relations by proceeding from the strategic perspective of safeguarding peace in the region, promoting common development and making Asia a harmonious continent, Wen said.

    The three countries should respect each other, treat one another equally, seek consensus while putting aside differences, so as to enhance mutual trust and push the trilateral ties forward in line with the principle of peaceful co-existence, comprehensive cooperation, mutual benefit and common development, Wen added.

    Both Roh and Fukuda said that South Korea, Japan and China are important countries in the region. Cooperation among the three is of great significance to promoting peace and prosperity of Asia. The three countries should maintain the good momentum in developing their relations, promote contacts, strengthen dialogues, deepen mutual trust and broaden cooperation.

    During the meeting, the three leaders also agreed to strengthen political dialogue and consultation, keep contact among senior officials and hold periodic meetings among leaders of the three countries.

    The three countries will enhance coordination on regional and international issues and carry out dialogues over foreign policies on Africa.

    They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in fields such as trade, finance, currency stabilization, environmental protection, resources conservation and youth exchanges.

    The three leaders also pledged their continued support for the integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and active participation in the cooperation between ASEAN and the three East Asian countries.

    On the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula, Wen said China always supports both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea in improving their relations through dialogues.

    China, Japan and South Korea should play constructive role on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and continue to coordinate and urge parties concerned to carry out their obligations, so that the process of six-party talks, denuclearization and normalization of ties between relevant countries will be pushed forward.

    Wen stressed that China will actively participate in the process of building a peaceful mechanism on the Korean Peninsula for long-term stability.

    Roh and Fukuda expressed their countries' willingness to cooperate, on the basis of the joint declaration signed on Sept. 9,2005, with relevant parties and push forward the six-party talks to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and contribute to peace and stability of Northeast Asia.

    The DPRK agreed in the declaration to abandon its nuclear development in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

    The last trilateral meeting was held in January this year in Cebu, the Philippines. At the meeting leaders of the three countries reached consensus on improving political trust among the three East Asian countries.