TCS

The Fifth Trilateral Summit among the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan was convened in Beijing, China, on May 13, 2012 with the attendance of H.E. Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of China, H.E. Lee Myung-bak, President of the ROK and H.E. Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan. The delegation of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), headed by Secretary General Shin Bong-kil, participated in the Summit as an observer. 

The leaders of the three countries engaged in an in-depth discussion on further enhancing the trilateral cooperation, promoting common development among the three countries as well as making contributions to the stability, development and prosperity of the region and the world at large. The leaders adopted theJoint Declaration on the Enhancement of Trilateral Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership. 

The three leaders also welcomed the establishment of the TCS in September 2011 in Seoul, the ROK, and expressed support for the TCS to provide high-quality service to trilateral consultative mechanisms and play an active role in promoting trilateral cooperation. 

Since its establishment, the TCS has put forward a variety of efforts with a view to enhancing the trilateral cooperation, including drafting the 2008-2012 Progress Report of the Trilateral Cooperation and setting up a four-language (English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean) TCS website, which would serve as an information center for the trilateral cooperation. 

On the occasion of the Fifth Trilateral Summit, the TCS Secretary General Shin Bong-kil paid a visit to Ms. Fu Ying, Deputy Foreign Minister of China, and conducted an interview with the China Dailyon, discussing the current status and future prospects of the trilateral cooperation.