TCS

On 13 May 2022, TCS Secretary-General Amb. OU Boqian had an online meeting with Mr. QIN Zi, initiator of Crested Ibis International Forum and editor-in-chief of the News Portal Sina Shannxi. The two sides had in-depth discussion on the status quo and future development of the Trilateral Cooperation. Mr. QIN Zi first of all thanked the TCS for rendering full support to the trilateral exchanges among the civil societies of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, underscoring that the bottom-up approach forms an important driver to the Trilateral Cooperation and the trilateral relations among the three neighboring countries. Recalling his early days in overcoming difficulties to bring the Crested Ibis International Forum from scratch to real, he emphasized that the Crested Ibis is a real symbol of friendship and unity of the three countries. He extended his hope to co-host with the TCS the 3rd Forum in Sado, Japan when the travel restrictions are lifted. He expressed his concern over the descending mutual perceptions among the people of the three countries in recent years, attributing such to the lack of understandings among the youth as well as a shortage of effective communications among media outlets. To that end, he spoke highly of TCS’ endeavors on the exchange programs for the younger generations and he journalists, and reaffirmed his commitment to further working with the TCS in promoting “Lasting Peace, Common Prosperity and Shared Culture.” Secretary-General OU highly appreciated Mr. QIN Zi for his long-time devotion to the Trilateral Cooperation. Highlighting the true and concerted efforts made by China, Japan and the Republic of Korea to rescue the once endangered Crested Ibis, she said it would be very meaningful to carry out more cultural exchange activities themed the Crested Ibis and relevant icons, which would create resonance and spur people’s affinity. Regarding mutual perception improvement as one of the core tasks of the TCS nowadays, she briefed on TCS’ efforts to bring the younger generations of the three countries together by carrying out numerous exchange programs, including the Trilateral Youth Speech Contest, Young Ambassador Program, Trilateral Youth Summit. She introduced the ongoing project to form up a Trilateral Youth Exchange Network, an integrated platform that incorporates all TCS’ youth projects and provides opportunities to deepen the mutual understandings among youth. She also mentioned on the role and responsibility of the media in that regard, adding that the TCS is upgrading its journalist exchange program featured with solution-oriented workshop. She extended her expectation to work together to solidify the foundation of Shared Culture in the region. Both sides also explored opportunities of cooperation via new media approaches.▲Secretary-General OU Boqian (right) exchanging views with Mr. QIN Zi, the Initiator of Crested Ibis International Forum

On May 11, 2022, Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) SG OU Boqian paid a courtesy visit to Vice Executive President of Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Mr. SHIN Seung Kwan, to formally extend an invitation to Mr. SHIN to attend the International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation 2022 (IFTC 2022), which will be held on June 14, 2022, in Seoul, Korea.SG OU firstly expressed her sincere appreciation to Mr. SHIN for accepting TCS’ invitation to IFTC 2022. She underlined past cooperation history between TCS and KITA, and explained the roles and functions of TCS in trilateral cooperation. Furthermore, SG OU briefed Mr. SHIN on the upcoming IFTC, in which he will participate as a speaker. She emphasized that IFTC plays a crucial role in exchanging political, economic, and socio-cultural policy advice among the three countries.Mr. SHIN responded by expressing his gratitude to SG OU for visiting KITA and also for the invitation to IFTC. Mr. SHIN spoke highly of TCS’ endeavor to strengthen trilateral ties in difficult times and expressed his interest to learn more about trilateral cooperation in the future.The meeting concluded with both organizations reassuring their commitment to further cooperation in the near future.▲SG OU and Vice Executive President SHIN▲Meeting photo

On May 6, 2022, TCS SG OU Boqian visited Jeju University and had a meeting with President Mr. KIM Eel-hwan to discuss ways to enhance cooperation on various youth exchange programs.SG OU introduced the TCS’ efforts to integrate its youth programs including Young Ambassador Program(YAP), Youth Speech Contest(YSC), Trilateral Youth Summit(TYS), with an aim to build stronger networks among young generations of the three countries. In this connection, she also explained the CAMPUS Asia Program in detail, commenting that it has been successfully implemented over the past years and is trying to get more universities involved in the program to enrich the contents. As TCS plans to organize a youth-related session in Jeju Forum this year, SG OU enlisted support from Jeju University in this regard.President KIM promised to expand the role of Jeju University in promoting trilateral cooperation, especially among youths, and developing Jeju-related projects. In addition, he stressed that Jeju University will make its utmost efforts to participate in the CAMPUS Asia Program, and will keep in closed contact with the TCS to provide necessary support for TCS’ session in Jeju Forum.▲Meeting at the Office of President, Jeju University▲SG OU and President KIM▲Group photo

On May 5, 2022, Korea-China EV Forum was held on the occasion of the 9th International Electric Vehicle Expo (IEVE), in Jeju, ROK. The Forum was organized in commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Korea-China Diplomatic relations, inviting dignitaries and experts in the relevant industries from both countries. TCS SG OU Boqian delivered congratulatory remarks at the opening session.SG OU shared in her remarks that China, Japan and Korea are leading the global electric vehicle(EV) industry, accounting for about 80% of global market share in battery sector and 41% of global sales in electric vehicle. Against the backdrop of enhanced international cooperation toward carbon neutrality goal, she also highlighted that the three countries have established a sound supply chain system for EV battery and are constantly working on technological innovation. On a related note, she introduced the TCS’ efforts to explore cooperative solutions for sustainable development, such as ‘Forum on Carbon Neutrality Goals’ co-hosted with UNESCAP in November 2021.The forum consisted of two sessions discussing trends, prospects, and policy directions for the electric vehicle and battery industries. In each session, speakers invited from related businesses, research centers, and associations in Korea and China delivered presentations, which was followed by plenary discussions.▲SG OU delivering congratulatory remarks▲SG OU attending the Forum