Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and make joint efforts to resume and accelerate China-Japan-ROK cooperation to make greater contributions to regional prosperity and stability.

Li made the remarks in Seoul at the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and the ROK.

As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the China-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation mechanism, Li said that at this new starting point, China, Japan and the ROK should stay committed to the original aspiration for cooperation and uphold openness, inclusiveness, mutual respect and trust, and mutual benefit and learning.

He said that the three sides should upgrade and speed up China-Japan-ROK cooperation, embark on a new journey of comprehensive development, and contribute more to regional prosperity and stability.

Li put forward a five-point proposal on deepening China-Japan-ROK cooperation. The first is to promote the comprehensive restart of cooperation, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, fully tap the potential for cooperation, steadily facilitate growth, and foster positive interplay between bilateral relations and trilateral cooperation.

The second is to deepen economic and trade connectivity, maintain the stability and smoothness of the industrial chain and supply chain, and resume and complete the negotiations of the China-Japan-ROK free trade agreement as soon as possible.

The third is to lead scientific and technological innovation cooperation and strengthen collaborative innovation and cooperation in frontier fields. China will establish a China-Japan-ROK Innovation Cooperation Center in China to help the three countries accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers.

The fourth is to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges and take advantage of the China-Japan-ROK 2025-2026 Year of Cultural Exchange to bring the hearts of the three neighbors closer.

The fifth is to strive to promote sustainable development, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of low-carbon transformation, climate change, aging population, and epidemic response, among others, and explore and carry out more "China-Japan-ROK + X" cooperation projects.

Li pointed out that the current situation on the Korean Peninsula remains tense. All parties should play a constructive role by committing to easing tensions, restarting dialogue as soon as possible, and advancing the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue, so as to safeguard peace and stability in the region.

China, Japan, and the ROK should leverage their respective development strengths to create a new engine for regional cooperation that actively addresses the needs of ASEAN and other neighboring countries. The three countries should work together to boost the momentum of ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, he said.

China is willing to work with the ROK and Japan to vigorously promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and jointly safeguard long-term stability and security in the region and the world at large, Li said.

Highlighting the great significance of the resumption of cooperation between the three countries after four years, ROK President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida called for maintaining the stability and continuity of cooperation and continuing to deepen cooperation in six major fields including sustainable development, economy and trade, public health, science and technology, and disaster relief.

They also urged efforts to resume negotiations on the China-Japan-ROK free trade agreement, promote regional cooperation in East Asia, and address global issues such as climate change to push for the stable development of China-Japan-ROK relations.

(With input from Xinhua)