TCS

On September 26, 2023, the Trilateral Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) was held in Seoul, ROK. The meeting was presided by Mr. CHUNG Byung-won, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK, with the participation of Mr. FUNAKOSHI Takehiro, Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. NONG Rong, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China. TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup also participated in the meeting.During the meeting, the three senior officials reaffirmed the commitment of the three governments to revitalize trilateral cooperation and discussed the timeline of the upcoming Foreign Ministers’ Meeting as well as the Trilateral Summit. The three sides also had in-depth discussions on the deliverables of these meetings and agreed to continue close communication for preparation.SG LEE Hee-sup appreciated the concerted efforts of the Ministries to revitalize and normalize trilateral cooperation and expressed gratitude for their continuous support for the TCS. SG LEE briefed to the senior officials on the current status of trilateral cooperation and provided suggestions related to the TCS in preparation for the Trilateral Summit.Link to press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROK regarding the trilateral senior officials' meeting >>https://www.mofa.go.kr/www/brd/m_4080/view.do?seq=374151&page=1

On September 20, 2023, TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup paid a visit to H.E. KIM Sung-hwan, Chairman of the East Asia Foundation (EAF) and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the ROK. The two sides exchanged views on the trilateral cooperation and partnership between EAF and TCS. SG Lee expressed his gratitude to H.E. KIM for his strong devotion to the foundation of the TCS along with his consistent support for the TCS.SG LEE also shared the 7th Consultative Board’s plan focused on facilitating the Trilateral Summit and other dialogue mechanisms as well as various cooperation programs to normalize and revitalize trilateral exchanges and cooperation, which were put on hold due to the pandemic.In response, H.E. KIM congratulated SG LEE on his assumption, and as the Foreign Minister back then when TCS was founded, delivered a brief introduction on the chronology of the establishment of the TCS. He encouraged the TCS to continue to enhance its role in promoting trilateral cooperation, especially facilitating the Trilateral Summit. Expressing his firm support to TCS and its promising activities, H.E. KIM expected further cooperation between EAF and TCS in a broad spectrum.

On September 18, 2023, TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup participated in the International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum Incheon 2023, and delivered the congratulatory remarks at the opening session. The forum was hosted by Incheon Metropolitan City, The Incheon Institute, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. TCS was a co-organizer of the Forum. ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. KAO Kim Hourn delivered the Keynote Speech at the opening session as well. Representatives from Northeast/Southeast Asian governments and of local governments as well as experts on disaster risk reduction (DRR) from various countries beyond Asia attended the forum and shared their insights in disaster risk reduction.The implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is now halfway through, and countries and cities around the world are expanding their efforts to reduce disaster risks. However, in order to make countries and communities resilient against climate change, economic crises and conflicts, further disaster prevention and disaster management efforts are needed. The first forum was held in 2022, and this is the second time under the theme 'Opportunities and challenges of using technology for climate and disaster risk reduction at the regional level'. The Forum seeks to accelerate the implementation of the Framework and also the Paris Agreement through the exchange of views at the Forum.In his remarks, SG LEE expressed his sincere congratulations and gratitude to the co-organizers, and highlighted the importance of regularly sharing the DRR insights, experiences and policies to learn from each other for further enhanced capacities. He also emphasized on promoting trilateral cooperations (cooperations between China, Japan, and ROK(CJK)) in DRR field mentioning Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management by the governments of CJK and noted that TCS is committed to further enhancing regional and international cooperation in DRR in collaboration with key stakeholders.In the forum, the first session (Part 1) saw the introduction of CJK Education and Training Institutes Online Workshop, which TCS hold with the UNDRR, and ministries, and institutes of the three countries on August 2nd, sharing the outcomes of the webinar, demonstrated how technology can support earthquake preparedness and response.Also, during the forum, SG LEE met Ms. Loretta Hieber Girardet, Chief of Risk Knowledge, Monitoring and Capacity-Development Branch, UNDRR and Mr. Sanjaya Bhatia, Head of the UNDRR Office for Northeast Asia and Global Education and Training Institute (ONEA-GETI).Ms. Loretta Hieber Girardet thanked SG LEE for the TCS’s continuous active engagement with UNDRR, stressing the importance of the cooperation among CJK and UNDRR, expecting enhancement of sharing the knowledge and experience in the region with the world beyond the region.SG LEE extended his gratitude for the UNDRR’s partnership with TCS, committed further strengthening cooperation with UNDRR, stating that TCS will promote further cooperation among CJK on DRR toward the upcoming meetings such as the Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management and the Trilateral Summit.▲ SG LEE Hee-sup delivering Congratulatory Remark▲ Group pictures with the participants of the Incheon Forum▲ Incheon Forum in progress▲ SG LEE and Ms. Loretta Hieber Girardet’s Meeting in progress▲ SG LEE and Ms. Loretta Hieber Girardet▲ Group Photo

On September 17, 2023, TCS Deputy Secretary-General YAN Liang attended China-ASEAN Expo opening ceremony and delivered congratulatory remarks at the China-ASEAN Business Leaders Forum & Conference on the 20th Anniversary of CABIS hosted by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), The People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, The National Chambers of Commerce and Industry of 10 ASEAN Countries. As a sideline event of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo, the forum aimed to seize RCEP Opportunities and promote further cooperation.In his remarks, DSG YAN pointed out that China, Japan, and ROK are major world economies and crucial engines for global economic development, and RCEP, initiated by ASEAN, is the first free trade agreement that covers these three parties. And he added that TCS as an intergovernmental organization in this region has actively promoted trilateral and regional economic cooperation under the RCEP framework which has enhanced the stability and resilience of the regional supply chain and industrial network. He asserted that TCS would enhance cooperation with ASEAN members through a “TCS+” model to consolidate the foundation with ASEAN to benefit more people and make our shared future to be better.The 20th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, which opened in Nanning of Guangxi on the same day with the theme “Work together for a Harmonious Home and a Shared Future Promoting High-Quality Development of the BRI and Nurturing New Epicenter of Growth”, was co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China, economic and trade authorities of ten ASEAN countries, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat.▲DSG YAN delivering congratulatory remarks at China-ASEAN Business Leaders Forum & Conference on the 20th Anniversary of CABIS