TCS

On April 20, the Trilateral Common Vocabulary Forum 2025 was held in Anyang, China, as the first official program of the 2025–2026 China-Japan-ROK Cultural Exchange Year. The Forum was co-hosted by the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), the Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial People’s Government, and the Anyang Municipal People’s Government, with support from the National Museum of Chinese Writing, the Japan Kanji Museum & Library, and the Center for the Study of Chinese Characters in Korea. The Forum, themed “Exploring Shared Heritage: The Role of Common Chinese Characters in Bridging China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea,” focused on the cultural connections and diverse evolution of Chinese characters across the three countries. Diplomats, researchers of Chinese characters, and calligraphers from the three countries, along with representatives from international organizations, participated in the event to promote collaboration and public engagement through discussions on language and culture, fostering deeper mutual understanding in Northeast Asia. During the opening ceremony, Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup of the TCS highlighted the importance of revisiting the shared connection through Chinese characters, particularly in the context of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, which share a unique cultural history in East Asia. Given this context, LEE Hee-sup emphasized that the three countries will continue to stand together and move forward by tracing their common roots. Furthermore, opening remarks were delivered in succession by LI Hongtao, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial People’s Government, and XUE Wenming, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Anyang Committee. This was followed by congratulatory remarks from USUI Masato, Minister at the Embassy of Japan in China, KIM Jingon, Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, and video remarks from Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia. As a forum commemorating the 16th UN Chinese Language Day, Prof. Shahbaz Khan emphasized that the shared vocabulary among China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea plays a vital role in building mutual understanding and strengthening people-to-people ties—directly supporting UNESCO’s mission to foster peace through intercultural dialogue, education, and respect for diversity. The ideas shared during the Forum were hoped to inspire lasting connections and contribute to greater understanding across generations. The Forum included an opening ceremony and three sessions. Session 1 brought together Chinese character experts to engage in professional discussions on the significance of common vocabulary, the current state of academic cooperation, and future prospects, including proposed tasks for the TCS. Session 2 focused on comparative studies of Chinese characters by young researchers, with discussions exploring differences and commonalities in character usage, research methodologies, and ways to strengthen academic collaboration through joint studies and exchange programs. In Session 3, calligraphers from the three countries were invited to create calligraphy works centered on the theme “Love & Future”. Held as a parallel event to the 2025 China (Anyang) International Conference on Chinese Characters, the Forum also aligned with the 2025–2026 China-Japan-ROK Cultural Exchange Year and the 16th UN Chinese Language Day. Since 2014, the TCS has promoted the 808 Commonly Used Chinese Characters to foster people-to-people exchanges and support collaboration among linguists in the region.▲Group Photo▲Opening Remarks from TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup▲Opening Remarks from LI Hongtao, Deputy Director-General, Foreign Affairs Office of Henan Provincial People’s Government▲Opening Remarks from XUE Wenming, Vice Chairman of CPPCC Anyang Committee▲Congratulatory Remarks from USUI Masato, Minister of the Embassy of Japan in China▲Congratulatory Remarks from KIM Jingon, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China▲Congratulatory video remarks by Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia▲Session 1 “Toward a Shared Future Through Chinese Characters”▲Session 2 “Bridging Cultures Comparative Research on Chinese Characters”▲Session 3 “Love & Future: Brushstrokes Across Borders”

On April 23, 2025, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup attended the 81st Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which was held on April 21-25, 2025, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Under the theme ‘Regional cooperation for resilient and sustainable urban development in Asia and the Pacific’, TCS was invited at the high-level dialogue with subregional organizations to share TCS’ experience in collaborating with ESCAP in promoting regional cooperation, during which SG LEE illustrated the critical role of the Trilateral+X modality for sharing the impact of trilateral cooperation with broader partners.Following the subregional dialogue, SG LEE had a bilateral meeting with Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. SG LEE extended his gratitude to ESCAP for their constant support and cooperation with TCS, highlighting the major achievements in the past year. Ms. Armida also expressed her thanks to TCS for co-hosting the special event at the Commission Session, and suggested to further expand TCS-ESCAP cooperation in new areas such as ageing, disaster risk reduction, sand and dust storms, etc.The meeting concluded with both parties expressing hopes of furthering cooperation in diverse areas of common interest.▲The high-level dialogue with subregional organizations taking place at the 81st Session of ESCAP▲SG LEE attending the High-level dialogue with subregional organizations.▲SG LEE and Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana during the bilateral meeting▲Group photo

On April 23, 2025, Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) jointly convened a special event titled “Building Urban Resilience to Sand and Dust Storms: Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Development” on the sidelines of the ESCAP 81st Session of the Commission. The event took place at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup highlighted the significance of regional solidarity in his welcome remarks, noting that the TCS has long been committed to supporting subregional environmental cooperation through its strong partnership with ESCAP. Recalling the outcomes of the 9th Trilateral Summit held in Seoul in 2024, SG LEE reaffirmed the commitment of CJK to collaborate with Mongolia under the “Trilateral+X Cooperation” framework, particularly on the shared challenge of SDS in East Asia. He emphasized that this event reflects ongoing high-level commitments to addressing land degradation and desertification through platforms such as the Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting and the Trilateral Director-General Level Meeting on Forestry Cooperation. SG LEE also shared concrete actions taken by TCS that contribute to cross-border engagement and knowledge exchange on disaster resilience. In her opening remarks, Her Excellency Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, underscored the transboundary nature of sand and dust storm (SDS) and the importance of collective response in integrating SDS mitigation into wider sustainable development strategies, disaster risk reduction, and climate adaptation. The keynote speech was delivered by His Excellency Tumur Amarsanaa, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mongolia to ESCAP, who stressed Mongolia’s leadership in advancing SDS dialogue in the region. The roundtable discussion gathered government officials, experts, and international organizations from CJK, Iran, and India to promote dialogue, share experiences, and explore solutions to enhance resilience—particularly in urban settings. The outcomes of the event will contribute to the broader regional agenda on environmental governance, and serve as a timely reminder that building urban resilience to SDS is not only an environmental necessity but a collective regional responsibility.

On April 20, 2025, Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2025 China (Anyang) International Conference on Chinese Characters. Themed “Chinese Characters · Civilization · Technology · Future,” the conference was hosted by the People’s Government of Henan Province. In his remarks, LEE Hee-sup emphasized the important role of Chinese characters in shaping the civilizations of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea throughout their long histories, as well as the close cultural and people-to-people ties among the three countries. He noted that increased cultural and people-to-people exchanges during the China-Japan-ROK Cultural Exchange Year will bring tangible benefits to the people of the region and serve as a first step in laying the foundation for a prosperous and harmonious tree of trilateral cooperation. The China (Anyang) International Conference on Chinese Characters is a biennial event that began in 2015. It brings together prominent experts on written characters and Chinese character culture from around the world for academic exchange and discussion on related research. TCS has been a longstanding supporter of the conference.