Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday that China this year will hold the eighth China-Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) leaders' meeting, an occasion for the three East Asian countries to join hands in forging closer trilateral ties. 

"We look forward to taking this opportunity to promote trilateral cooperation and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability, development and prosperity," noted Li.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the 35th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Thailand.

Enhancing mutual trust

Hailing China and Japan as close neighbors and global economic powers, Li said the two countries share the common will of safeguarding multilateral free trade and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation.

"A healthy, stable and lasting China-Japan relationship would benefit the two peoples and inject a new impetus into the global economic downturn," Li noted, urging the two countries to enhance political mutual trust on sensitive issues of core interests and major concerns. 

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Abe, for his part, said Japan is willing to strengthen dialogues and coordination with China in regional and international affairs.

Hailing the improving China-Japan ties in the past year, he said he looks forward to attending the upcoming China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting to push forward the trilateral cooperation to a new level. 

What is the China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting?

First proposed by the ROK in 2004 as a meeting outside the framework of the ASEAN Plus Three, the China-Japan-ROK Summit is meant to function as a coordinator of cooperation between the ASEAN and the three East Asian nations to promote economic integration and multilateral trade in Asia. 

The last meeting was held in Tokyo in 2018, after a two-year pause following the sixth meeting which was held in Seoul in 2015.