Senior Officials from China, South Korea and Japan signed on a joint declaration on cultural cooperation during a trilateral ministerial meeting in Seogyupo, South Korea, on Thursday.

Chinese Cultural Minister Cai Wu, his South Korean counterpart Yu Myung-hwan and Japanese counterpart Aiko Tamotsu participated in the Second Korea-China-Japan Cultural Ministerial Meeting in South Korea's resort island of Jeju and discussed measures for closer cooperation in cultural industry and people-to-people exchanges.

Under the declaration, the three sides agreed to enhance cooperation on literature, art, cultural industries and heritages.

The three sides also agreed to conduct more personal exchanges in culture to promote mutual understanding and seek future-oriented cooperation, it said.

During the meeting, the three parties talked about ways to help cultural industry overcome the current global financial crisis.

The three sides agreed to hold the next round of cultural minister meeting in Japan next year, Chinese officials said.

Cai held bilateral meetings separately with Yu and Tamotsu on Wednesday.

Cai signed a memorandum of understanding with Yu at the bilateral meeting, committing to exchanging information on related laws and policies to foster joint research between Chinese and South Korean gaming companies.

The 1st trilateral cultural minister meeting was held in Chinese Nantong city in 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency December 26, 2008)