On May 23, the 7th China-Japan-South Korea Economic and Trade Ministerial Meeting was held in Seoul, capital of South Korea, at which Chinese commerce minister Chen Deming, minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea Kim Jong-hoon, and Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minster Masayuki Naoshima were present. The economic and trade ministers of the three countries reviewed the previous cooperation process and deeply exchanged views on such issues as China-Japan-South Korea cooperation as well as regional and international economic cooperation. Three parties issued the United News Draft together after the meeting.

Chen stated that we three countries shall next in the more flexible and practical spirit handle the differences that may arise in the joint research into free trade areas of the three countries with our economies all undergoing through the global financial crisis in a bid to be finished up to 2012 when the meeting of the three countries’ leaders; boost the negotiation on trilateral investment agreement to make substantive progress soon to reach a balanced, pragmatic and win-win trilateral investment agreement as soon as possible; and further strengthen the communication and coordination among the three countries under the multilateral frameworks of G20 and APEC. In the situation where the world’s economy still faces numerous uncertainties, the three countries shall further enhance economic and trade cooperation, which not only benefits Asian economic growth but also will contribute to the world’s economic recovery and prosperity.