China, Japan, South Korea vow to deepen cooperation on regional issues

SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) - China, Japan and South Korea on Sunday agreed to deepen cooperation on various regional issues ranging from the Korean Peninsula to East Asia economic integration.

In a joint declaration issued after a trilateral summit held in Seoul, the three neighbors stressed the importance of three-way cooperation to regional cooperation in order to promote peace and prosperity.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye attended the summit, resumed Sunday after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus.

The three countries welcomed the agreement between the two sides of the Korean Peninsula that resolved tensions on the peninsula in August, and hoped the agreement will lead to meaningful progress on inter-Korean relations.

The three nations also reaffirmed their firm opposition to the development of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, according to the joint declaration.

"We oppose any action that may cause tension on the Korean Peninsula or violate relevant UN Security Council resolutions," it said. The three sides also pledged their continued joint efforts to resume meaningful six-party talks at an early date.

Meanwhile, the three countries agreed to boost cooperation in East Asia and jointly work toward economic integration of the region.

"We will work together to advance East Asian regional cooperation with the trilateral cooperation serving as an engine," the statement said.

In the statement, the three countries also agreed to closely cooperate on combating malicious cyber activities, terrorism and extremism, and vowed to make joint efforts to improve nuclear safety. Endi