II. Political and security affairs

1. Tripartite partnership

During the First Trilateral Summit Meeting held in December 2008, the three countries proposed to launch future-oriented and comprehensive cooperation in the political, economic, social and cultural fields. In October 2009, the Second Trilateral Summit Meeting laid out the goal of building a future-oriented comprehensive cooperative partnership among the three countries. In May 2010, leaders of the three countries pledged at the Third Trilateral Summit Meeting to take trilateral cooperation to a new height to firm up the basis for the future-oriented comprehensive cooperative partnership. In May 2011, the three countries proposed at the Fourth Trilateral Summit Meeting to further strengthen their future-oriented comprehensive cooperative partnership.

Based on the agreement reached at the trilateral summit meetings, the three countries have, in recent years, strengthened high-level exchanges and strategic dialogue, conducted policy consultations, broadened non-traditional security cooperation, and expanded mutual understanding and common ground. The three countries have deepened mutually beneficial cooperation and advanced economic integration in such areas as economy, trade and investment, finance, transport and logistics, information and communications, customs, intellectual property, standards and metrology. The three countries have explored ways to enhance practical cooperation in circular economy, science and technology, environment, agriculture and water conservancy, and made joint efforts to promote sustainable development. The three countries have actively conducted people-to-people and cultural exchanges, expanded cooperation in culture, education, tourism, personnel administration and public health as well as cooperation among non-governmental institutions, and sought ways to boost the affinity among their peoples to build greater popular support for the development of relations among them.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of various departments of the three countries, the future-oriented comprehensive cooperative partnership is growing in both breadth and depth.

2. Policy consultations

Policy Dialogue on Asian Affairs

At the Fourth Trilateral Summit Meeting in May 2011, China put forward the proposal of holding a Trilateral Policy Dialogue on Asian Affairs, which was positively responded to and supported by Japan and the ROK. In March 2012, the First Trilateral Policy Dialogue on Asian Affairs was held in Beijing, during which senior officials of the three countries exchanged views on the situation in Asia as well as international and regional hotspot issues. The three countries shared the view that consultation on Asian policies and timely communication and coordination on Asian affairs could help them better understand each other's Asian policies and build up mutual trust. The three countries agreed to keep the momentum of consultation and continue to explore ways for enhancing communication and cooperation in Asian affairs.

Policy Dialogue on African Affairs

The leaders of China, Japan and the ROK reached the agreement to hold a Trilateral Policy Dialogue on African Affairs during their meeting in November 2007. The First Trilateral Director-General's Consultation on African Policies was held in Tokyo in December 2008, and four rounds of consultations have been held. The three countries conducted in-depth and fruitful exchange of views on their respective African policies, cooperation with African countries and hotspot issues in Africa. They shared the view that the Trilateral Policy Dialogue on African Affairs was helpful for enhancing trilateral communication and consultation on African affairs. They would continue to use this platform to expand mutual understanding and common ground on African affairs, and jointly promote peace, stability and development in Africa.

Consultation on Latin America affairs

In 2004, the Trilateral Cooperation Committee (foreign ministerial level) put forward the proposal of holding DG-level meetings on Latin American policies. In April 2006, the First Trilateral Director-General's Consultation on Latin American Affairs was held in Beijing, and five rounds of consultations have already been held. The three countries conducted communication and exchanges on the situation in Latin America, their respective Latin American policies and relations with Latin American countries, and explored the possibility of trilateral cooperation in Latin America. The consultations played an important role in expanding mutual understanding, promoting mutual learning and increasing mutual trust in Latin American affairs, and contributed to the growth of trilateral relations and their communication and cooperation in international affairs.

Given the growing strength and international influence of Latin American countries as a whole, China, Japan and the ROK will follow Latin American affairs more closely and further enhance cooperation with Latin America in the political, economic, trade, cultural and other fields. It is the common need and aspiration of the three countries to maintain exchanges on Latin American affairs, and they will continue to strengthen the consultation mechanism.

Counter-Terrorism Consultation

To implement the consensus reached at the Third Trilateral Summit Meeting in May 2010 for enhancing counter-terrorism cooperation, China, Japan and the ROK held the first Counter-Terrorism Consultation in Jeju, the ROK in March 2011. The three countries exchanged views on the international and regional counter-terrorism situation, anti-piracy, internet security and trilateral cooperation in specific areas. The three countries shared the view that they should further strengthen and improve the mechanism of trilateral counter-terrorism cooperation. They agreed to conduct in-depth exchange of views on international and regional counter-terrorism situation, major issues concerning counter-terrorism and their respective counter-terrorism policies, share information and coordinate actions on issues of each other's concerns. They also agreed to promote cooperation among counterpart departments as well as exchanges and dialogue among experts so as to facilitate substantive trilateral cooperation, safeguard common security interests and promote regional and world peace and stability. The three countries made the decision to conduct the Second Counter-Terrorism Consultation in Japan in 2012.

3. Non-traditional security

Disaster management

The three countries have paid great attention to and actively advanced disaster management cooperation to cope with frequent natural disasters. The First Trilateral Heads of Government Agency Meeting on Disaster Management among China, Japan and the ROK was held in October 2009. The meeting is held in rotation among the three countries every two years, and two meetings have already been held. The three countries have agreed to carry out close cooperation in the following areas: first, establish a mechanism for mutual visits and regular meetings, and gradually put in place a mechanism for joint visits to disaster-affected areas; second, strengthen information sharing, exchange information about the laws, regulations and policies for disaster management, share disaster information and research outcomes concerning mega-disaster risks, and jointly build a disaster risk prevention system; third, strengthen disaster reduction and relief capacity, carry out trilateral training of disaster management personnel, and build an effective mechanism for trilateral cooperation in on-site rescue and public protection; fourth, strengthen satellite-based disaster surveillance, and share geo-spatial data for disaster reduction. The three countries are now taking measures to implement these agreements.

In March 2011, Japan was hit by a devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear leak, which triggered wide public attention and outpour of support from the three countries and the international community at large. During the Fourth Trilateral Summit Meeting held in Tokyo later in May, the leaders of China and the ROK showed their sympathy to the Japanese people by paying special visits to the affected areas. Their visits demonstrated the good neighborly and friendly relations and mutual help among the three countries in times of difficulties, and greatly boosted the confidence and resolve of the Japanese government and people to overcome the massive disaster. This was spoken highly of in the international community.

This year, the three countries will hold the first table top exercise for disaster management coordinated by the TCS for the purpose of building up capability for joint disaster response. The three countries are now making preparations for the exercise.

Earthquake Disaster Mitigation

Trilateral cooperation on earthquake disaster management started in 2003. China Earthquake Administration, Japan Meteorological Agency and Korea Meteorological Administration held three tripartite meetings on earthquake disaster mitigation from 2004 to 2006. Since then, the meeting has been held every two years for five meetings in total, and the three countries have carried out cooperation within the trilateral meeting framework in a wide range of areas, including near-real-time exchange of earthquake and tsunami data, information processing technologies, severe earthquake studies and personnel exchange.

In October 2011, China, Japan and the ROK co-hosted the Seminar on East Asia Earthquake Studies in Beijing, which was participated by over 100 experts and scholars from 18 countries and regions including China, Japan, the ROK, Thailand, India and Mongolia, and five international organizations. The seminar adopted the Beijing Understanding and decided to launch a joint study on earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes in Northeast Asia.

To further advance trilateral cooperation on earthquake studies, China Earthquake Administration will host the Sixth Trilateral Meeting on Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in Beijing and start to implement the joint study project on earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes in Northeast Asia.

Nuclear safety

To facilitate Asian regional cooperation on nuclear safety, the three countries launched the mechanism of Top Regulators' Meeting (TRM) in 2008. The TRM is an annual event held in rotation among the nuclear safety regulators of the three countries, and four TRMs have been held.

During the Fourth TRM held in Tokyo in November 2011, the three countries signed the Cooperative Nuclear Safety Initiative, and agreed to play a leading role in regional and international cooperation by instituting a cooperation framework and taking collaborative actions. They also pledged to carry out cooperation in such areas as regional nuclear safety standards, regional emergency response mechanism and regulatory capacity. The signing of the initiative marked an important milestone in trilateral nuclear safety cooperation, and laid an important foundation for regional nuclear safety.

The TRM has provided a sound cooperation mechanism and information sharing platform for Asian countries in the field of nuclear safety regulation, and contributed to the promotion of nuclear safety in the region.

Law-enforcement cooperation

The law-enforcement departments of China, Japan and the ROK are also members of ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes and dialogue partners of the ASEAN Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL). The three countries have maintained good communication and cooperation in these mechanisms.

On the occasion of the 27th ASEANAPOL Conference in June 2007, the police forces of China, Japan and the ROK launched the mechanism of international cooperation chiefs' meeting, and held their first meeting. Through this mechanism, the three countries have exchanged views on ways to improve regional law-enforcement cooperation, enhance cooperation in combating transnational crimes and strengthen personnel training cooperation. In addition, the functional departments of the three countries have carried out cooperation in forensic science. The fire brigade's associations of the three countries have established a mechanism of consultative meetings to conduct regular consultations on the academic and technical issues concerning fire safety.

4. Regional and international affairs

China, Japan and the ROK have maintained close communication on the situation in Northeast Asia, made earnest endeavor to uphold peace and stability in Northeast Asia through dialogue and consultation, and carried out close cooperation with other parties to push forward the Six-Party Talks process.

Being important members of East Asia, China, Japan and the ROK have maintained good cooperation in the ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and other regional cooperation mechanisms. The three countries have provided strong support for ASEAN Community building and ASEAN's leading role in East Asia cooperation, and made earnest endeavor to facilitate the development of East Asia Free Trade Area and East Asian economic integration, and promote peace, stability and prosperity in East Asia.

Being major countries in the world, China, Japan and the ROK have maintained close communication and coordination in the UN, G20, APEC and other international organizations and platforms, and made joint efforts to deal with the international economic and financial crisis, food and energy security, climate change and other global challenges, and promote strong, sustainable and balanced world economic growth.