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Meeting to reinforce mutual trust, post-quake co-op

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-20 17:25

TOKYO - The upcoming annual summit of Japan, China and South Korea leaders will further reinforce mutual trust and demonstrate solidarity among the Asian neighbors, while post-quake cooperation is expected to be high on agenda this year.

Leaders of the three countries will visit Fukushima City, northwest of the crippled Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant which has been central to a massive nuclear crisis since the March 11 quake and tsunami, at the beginning of the trilateral summit on Saturday.

The visit slated for Saturday afternoon is aimed at the three leaders showing the evacuees living in temporary accommodation since the nuclear crisis encouragement in their time of adversity.

The gesture will mark the first time that any visiting foreign leaders have visited Fukushima Prefecture since the March 11 disasters.

The trip to Fukushima Prefecture will enable Kan to address key concerns about the crippled nuclear plant as well as Japan's vision regarding how and when the country plans to end the crisis.

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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will also visit Miyagi prefecture to convey the Chinese people's goodwill, care and comfort for the local people and to root for the local people in their post-disaster efforts as well as to demonstrate Chinese support for Japan's reconstruction efforts.

China and South Korea were both among the first nations to provide emergency, specialized rescue teams and other essential aid to Japan in the days following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Kan has said that such acts of kindness will help to deepen relations between the three neighbors and provide a foundation of goodwill to continue building upon.

Following the three leaders' goodwill visit to Fukushima and other disaster-stricken areas, talks will be held in Tokyo, where the three nations are expected to discuss measures to cooperate in preparation of natural disasters and nuclear safety, such as creating an information-sharing system for emergency situations.

On the economic front,  the leaders of the three countries, which now account for nearly 20 percent of global gross domestic product, will envisage the study of establishing trilateral free trade zones and discuss on major projects with trilateral cooperation.

The three parties are also expected to discuss other major regional and international issues to strengthen political mutual trust.

Trilateral summits between the three nations are held annually since the first version began on Dec 13, 2008, in Fukuoka, Japan. The talks were predominantly focused on maintaining strong international relations, global economy and disaster relief.

The second summit, held on Oct 10, 2009, in Beijing, was chaired by Premier Wen and attended by then Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak and this meeting explored ways to deepen relationships between the three countries from a strategic angle.

The third summit was convened on the South Korean island of Jeju from May 29 to 30, 2010, during which Premier Wen, South Korean President Lee and then Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama unrolled a blueprint for trilateral cooperation, spanning economy, security, environmental protection and cultural exchange.