Overview of the 4th Japan-China-ROK Summit Meeting

May 27, 2011

The 4th Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting was held for about two hours at the Akasaka State Guest House in Tokyo on May 22, attended by Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan, who served as chairman, Premier of the State Council Wen Jiabao of the People's Republic of China, and President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Other participants on the Japanese side included Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeaki Matsumoto, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Banri Kaieda and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama. The following is an overview of the summit.

1. Summit Declaration and Attached Documents

As the outcomes of the Meeting, the summit leaders issued a declaration and three attached documents -- "Cooperation on Nuclear Safety," "Cooperation toward Sustainable Growth through Promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency" and "Cooperation on Disaster Management."

2. Progress in Trilateral Cooperation and Future Direction

Prime Minister Kan began the meeting by asking summit participants to join him in a one-minute silent prayer for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Prime Minister Kan deeply thanked China and the ROK for their assistance and statements of solidarity offered after the disaster, emphasizing that the visits by the Chinese and ROK leaders to the disaster-stricken cities of Sendai and Fukushima and shelters despite their tight schedules offered great help in communicating the safety of the areas in particular and Japan in general to the rest of the world. He said the Japanese economy is under downward pressure in the short term, but that it will get on a track to recovery from the latter half of this year. He added that Japan views the disaster as an opportunity to recover from "a crunch in the middle of a crisis" and revive the country as a vibrant nation, thus expressing his intention to make efforts for the country's reconstruction by taking in the vitality of foreign countries as well. The Chinese and ROK leaders expressed condolences and words of sympathy for the disaster victims. The two leaders thanked Japan for hosting the summit as scheduled in difficult times and pledged to help Japan's post-disaster rehabilitation as much as possible.

(1) Nuclear Safety

Prime Minister Kan explained the current situation at Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in detail and told the two leaders that Japan intends to promote trilateral cooperation for nuclear safety through the sharing of information and other means while sharing the knowledge and experience learned from the accident with China, the ROK and the international community at large with maximum transparency. He called for China and the ROK to base their policies on import of Japanese products on scientific evidence and expressed hope that the citizens of the two countries will visit Japan and do shopping, as they used to do, so as to assist its recovery. The three leaders decided to promote trilateral cooperation on nuclear safety and issued the relevant summit document.

(2) Sustainable Growth through Promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

Prime Minister Kan said the three countries, facing common challenges such as climate change and constrained supply of resources, should promote future-oriented trilateral cooperation for sustainable growth by introducing renewable energy and improving energy efficiency. From the perspective of coping with climate change, he pointed to the importance of building a framework in which cooperation through such measures as the diffusion of low-carbon technologies and products is appropriately evaluated. He added that Japan intends to cooperate closely with China and the ROK in leading sustainable growth in East Asia.

(3) Disaster Management

Prime Minister Kan proposed closer trilateral cooperation in disaster management on the basis of the experience and lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Specifically, he cited (1) conducting emergency exercises and improving response capabilities, (2) ensuring quick and smooth communication in case of a disaster, (3) enhancing coordination in providing and receiving relief teams and supplies, and (4) promoting technology and enhancing information sharing on disaster management. He suggested the use of the proposed Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat as one of ideas for promoting these undertakings. The Chinese and ROK leaders made similar remarks on the importance of trilateral cooperation for disaster management. The three leaders decided to continue cooperation in this regard and issued the relevant summit document.

(4) Economic Growth

The three leaders concurred to make further efforts to achieve a substantial agreement in negotiations for the proposed Trilateral Investment Agreement as early as possible and decided to accelerate the Joint Study on a trilateral FTA so that the study will be concluded within this year. In addition, Prime Minister Kan sought cooperation from the Chinese and ROK leaders in encouraging tourists from the two countries to begin visiting Japan again as promoting tourism is conducive to stimulating economic activity, especially in the disaster-affected Japanese tourism sector. He also said Japan intends to promote trilateral cooperation with a view to achieving the goal of boosting the scale of human exchanges among the three countries to 26 million people by 2015. Prime Minister Kan added that it is important to further promote dialogue and cooperation toward securing the stable supply of rare earths and other mineral resources because difficulty in ensuring their smooth supply would adversely affect economic activities in the three countries that are closely interdependent in economic terms. He also pointed out the importance of closer cooperation among customs authorities.

(5) People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges

Prime Minister Kan said it is important to activate human and cultural exchanges and deepen bonds at the citizens' levels, especially when one of the three countries is in a difficult situation. He welcomed the ongoing "CAMPUS Asia" project aimed at enhancing exchanges among universities in the three countries. The Chinese and ROK leaders also referred to the importance of human and cultural exchanges.

(6) Environmentally Sustainable Development

In reference to the Tripartite Joint Action Plan worked out at the Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting in 2010, Prime Minister Kan said Japan will further promote cooperation to tackle environmental issues such as sandstorms and marine debris. He also expressed hope that the three countries will closely cooperate for steady follow-up of outcomes of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biodiversity held in Japan last year.

(7) Others

Prime Minister Kan said it is extremely important for the three countries facing the ocean to secure maritime safety and expressed hope for the early conclusion of negotiations for a Japan-China maritime search and rescue agreement. He sought cooperation among the three countries to ensure safety on the seas surrounding them. He added that Japan intends to exchange views on development cooperation with the two countries to effectively address challenges concerning development faced by the international community by sharing experience in development assistance. The three leaders welcomed the effectuation of an agreement on the establishment of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat and confirmed their cooperation for the early launch of the secretariat to be set up.

3. Regional and Global Issues

(1) Northeast Asian Situation

With regard to Northeast Asian situations, the three leaders agreed to continue coordination in urging North Korea to take concrete actions toward resolution of issues of concern in accordance with the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks. Prime Minister Kan expressed Japan's concern over North Korea's uranium enrichment activities as clear violation of the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and the Joint Statement. He stressed the importance of sending a strong message at international fora such as the Security Council to realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the Six-Party Talks. In this connection, he expressed his expectation for the role of China as a permanent member of the Security Council. Prime Minister Kan acknowledged China's diplomatic efforts as the chair of the Six-Party Talks and stated that North Korea must show its intention to sincerely fulfill their commitments by taking concrete actions at the Six-Party Talks and respond in a positive manner at the inter-Korean dialogue in addressing its two provocative acts last year and denuclearization. He asked for further cooperation from China and the ROK for resolving the abduction issue.

(2) Regional Cooperation in East Asia

Prime Minister Kan stated his intention that Japan strengthen regional cooperation through the existing regional frameworks in an open and multilayered manner while regarding the Japan-U.S. alliance as the cornerstone of its diplomacy, and that Japan wished to enhance cooperation among the three countries. Referring to the East Asia Summit (EAS), he demonstrated his thought that Japan wished to further develop existing initiatives and to strengthen cooperation in political and security fields, given its growing importance following the participation of the U.S. and Russia.

(3) Disarmament and Non-proliferation

Prime Minister Kan pointed out it is the responsibility of the three core countries of Asia to make efforts for nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, nuclear security and nuclear safety in a comprehensive manner, thus reducing nuclear risks. In this context, he pointed out the need to steadily implement the Action Plan adopted at the 2010 NPT Review Conference. The three leaders confirmed that they will cooperate for the success of the Nuclear Security Summit to be held in the ROK in 2012.

(4) International Economic Situation

Prime Minister Kan stated the G20 Summit held in Seoul last November under the ROK's chair contributed to strengthen efforts for global economic growth and tackle new challenges such as the development issue. He added that it is necessary for each country to take specific actions on the basis of its own responsibility toward sustainable growth of the world economy. The three leaders shared the view that price hike of primary commodity constitute a risk to the global economy and shared the view to cooperate among the three countries toward the G20 Summit in Cannes, France, in November 2011.