Premier Li Keqiang says a China-South Korea-Japan trade deal will safeguard peace and stability in Asia
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- Three days of talks between foreign ministers and with promise to work towards greater economic cooperation
China, South Korea and Japan ended three days of foreign ministers’ talks in Beijing on Thursday with a promise to work towards greater economic cooperation, but there was no joint statement on the possibility of new US missiles in Asia or denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, along with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts Kang Kyung-wha and Taro Kono, met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People.
“There is certainly political will from the three parties to speed the negotiations on a free-trade agreement,” said Jun Saito, deputy press secretary of Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs, adding that any agreement had to uphold higher standards (more open markets) than the proposed 10-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Li called for Seoul and Tokyo’s support in promoting multilateralism, and he reiterated China’s commitment to speeding up their negotiations.
“China-South Korea-Japan cooperation is an important safeguard and catalyst for the region and the world. We must defend regional peace and stability, the multilateral trading system and [the principles] of free trade,” Li said.
