Backgrounder: Trilateral meeting of leaders of China, Japan, S. Korea

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will meet his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak Saturday for a trilateral meeting of leaders of the three countries in Japan's Fukuoka.

Previously, eight tripartite meetings took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Three summits held in ASEAN member countries. The following is a chronology of the eight meetings:

-- The first trilateral meeting brought together Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung for an informal breakfast meeting on Nov. 28, 1999 in Manila. The leaders had friendly conversations focusing on the domestic economic situations in their respective countries as well the regional economic situation.

-- Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung held a breakfast meeting on Nov. 24, 2000 in Singapore.

The leaders exchanged views on enhancing cooperation among the three countries and their cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), reaching consensus on many issues.

-- On Nov. 5, 2001, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung held a breakfast meeting in the Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

The leaders exchanged views on boosting economic and trade cooperation among the three countries and reached consensus on a wide range of issues.

-- On Nov. 4, 2002, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Suk-soo held the fourth trilateral meeting in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.

-- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun held the fifth meeting on Oct. 7, 2003 in Bali, Indonesia.

The leaders discussed cooperation among the three countries, their cooperation with ASEAN and other issues of common concern. They also signed the Joint Declaration on the Promotion of Tripartite Cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea.

-- The sixth trilateral meeting was held on Nov. 29, 2004 in Vientiane, the capital of Laos and was attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. At the meeting, the Action Strategy on Trilateral Cooperation was adopted and a report on progress in cooperation among the three countries was issued.

-- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun held the seventh meeting on Jan. 14, 2007 in Cebu, the Philippines.

The three leaders exchanged views on promoting political trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between their countries and reached consensus on many issues. They also released a joint press statement, reaffirming their commitment to a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

-- On Nov. 20, 2007, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun attended the eighth meeting in Singapore, agreeing to further promote trilateral cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2008)