JAPANESE READOUT OF JAPAN-CHINA-ROK SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 002439 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/J, EAP/CM, EAP/K E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019 TAGS: PREL CH KS JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE READOUT OF JAPAN-CHINA-ROK SUMMIT REF: A. TOKYO 2343 ¶B. BEIJING 2897 ¶C. TOKYO 2388 TOKYO 00002439 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Robert Luke for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Second Japan-China-South Korea Trilateral Summit held October 10 in Beijing helped continue momentum toward greater overall regional cooperation, according to a readout provided by MOFA officials. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak adopted statements citing ten years of cooperation and reaffirming shared regional and global responsibilities. Much of the two-hour summit discussion focused on North Korea, specifically Premier Wen's recent trip there. Hatoyama called for a comprehensive solution to the abduction, nuclear, and missile issues. On his idea of a East Asian Community (EAC),the Prime Minister raised only general points, avoiding specifics related to structure and membership. The three leaders also sought to strengthen cooperation on issues related to the regional economic situation, climate change, and people-to-people exchanges. Looking ahead, Japan will host trilateral disaster management talks in Kobe on October 31 and the Third Health Ministers Meeting in November. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama attended the Second Japan-China-South Korea Trilateral Summit on October 10 in Beijing with host Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and helped continue momentum toward greater overall regional cooperation, according to a readout provided by MOFA Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Regional Policy Division officer Hideto Nakajima. The three nations formally started meeting trilaterally in 1999 on the margins of regional multilateral venues, but Nakajima and other MOFA contacts contend that this summit, and the first of its kind in December 2008 in Fukuoka, are historically significant because they are stand-alone events (Ref A). The three leaders confirmed progress made since December, when then-Prime Minister Taro Aso, Wen, and Lee signed a joint statement promoting trilateral cooperation in a "future oriented manner" under the principles of "openness, transparency, and mutual trust." Hatoyama, Wen, and Lee also ;cited progress on the December 2008 "Action Plan," a document outlining cooperation in political, economic, environmental, social and cultural, and global affairs. The three leaders plan to meet again in 2010 in Korea. -------------- Issued Two Joint Statements -------------- ¶3. (C) The three nations approved and adopted two joint statements (Ref B). The "Joint Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of Trilateral Cooperation among Japan, China, and the ROK" cites ten years of cooperation in promoting shared interests and enhancing mutual trust through a "future oriented comprehensive partnership." The statement lists five basic pledges including: 1) stepping up high-level contacts and strategic dialogue, respecting the major concerns and core interests of each country, and facilitating exchanges among military personnel; 2) deepening cooperation in business, trade, finance, investment, logistics, intellectual property, customs, science and technology, energy conservation, and environmental protection, opposing trade protectionism, and seeking conclusion to the WTO Doha Round in 2010; 3) expanding people-to-people exchanges in areas such as disaster management, healthcare, tourism, human resources, education, and sports; 4) strengthening existing regional mechanisms such as ASEAN Plus Three, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, and APEC, and continuing to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula; and 5) enhancing communication and consultation on global issues TOKYO 00002439 002.2 OF 003 such as climate change, financial risks, energy security, public health, natural disasters, terrorism, arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, and UN reform. ¶4. (C) The second statement, "The Joint Statement on Sustainable Development Among the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea" reaffirms the three countries' shared vision and responsibility for creating a "prosperous" future for the regional and international community. The statement stresses the importance of conducting joint research on issues such as water resource management, wildlife protection, and clean energy. The statement also includes a pledge to work together in the run-up to the December UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen and with an eye toward an effective post-2012 international cooperation framework. -------------- Cooperation on North Korea -------------- ¶5. (C) Much of the summit discussion focused on North Korea, Nakajima reported. PM Hatoyama and President Lee were particularly interested in Premier Wen's recent trip to the North, where he held meetings with leader Kim Jong-il. Wen reported that Kim told him that Pyongyang would work toward denuclearization and that North Korea might return to Six-Party Talks after reviewing prospects for bilateral discussions with the United States. Premier Wen also stated that bilateral sessions between the United States and North Korea, Japan and North Korea, and North and South Korea, for example, could complement any multilateral framework, Nakajima said. ¶6. (C) After praising China's diplomatic efforts, PM Hatoyama underscored the importance of seeking a concrete and positive North Korean response, including a commitment to Six-Party Talks and to address fully the human rights situation, including the longstanding abductions issue involving Japanese citizens. Hatoyama called for a comprehensive solution to the abduction, nuclear, and missile issues in accordance with the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration. Premier Wen and President Lee expressed their support and understanding for Hatoyama's position, Nakajima reported. -------------- Touched Briefly on East Asian Community -------------- ¶7. (C) PM Hatoyama raised only general points about his idea of an East Asian Community, Nakajima said. The Prime Minister told his counterparts that Japan is pushing a foreign policy that emphasizes Asia while attaching great importance to U.S.-Japan relations. Hatoyama said that he wants to promote the EAC based on the principles of "openness, transparency, and inclusiveness." The PM refrained from elaborating on details such as structure and "geographical limits," prospects for using an economic partnership or free trade agreement (FTA) as starting point, and whether ASEAN or "Plus Three" countries Japan, China, and South Korea would form the core of any EAC. Hatoyama, however, is keenly aware that Japan, China, and South Korea contribute more than 70 percent of the region's GDP. Establishing a common currency, although part of Hatoyama's vision, was also not raised during the summit; there is "no current roadmap," Nakajima explained. In short, the vision is "long term" and will be built "step-by-step," our MOFA interlocutor continued. The Prime Minister certainly has "his own ideas" and will probably raise the concept again during upcoming ASEAN-related events in Thailand, Nakajima added. In the meantime, MOFA continues to wait and work behind the scenes on the issue. For their part, Premier Wen and President Lee said they "shared" Hatoyama's view and agreed to help "flesh out more details," Nakajima concluded. -------------- TOKYO 00002439 003.2 OF 003 Economic cooperation -------------- ¶8. (C) PM Hatoyama expressed hope for concluding a trilateral investment agreement as soon as possible within the next year. Negotiators from the three countries have met several since 2007 and will meet again in Beijing in late 2009 with an eye toward concluding an agreement by early 2010, according to Embassy Trade Ministry contacts (Ref C). The Prime Minister also encouraged improvements in the regional business environment and remarked on the importance of holding government-to-government discussions on feasibility studies conducted by private institutions regarding prospects for a trilateral FTA. In response, Premier Wen and President Lee pointed out the need to review current studies. The three leaders also pledged to strengthen domestic demand in their respective countries, oppose protectionism, and strive toward a conclusion to the WTO Doha Round. Nakajima added that Hatoyama's call for progress toward a trilateral FTA does not mean the GOJ is abandoning efforts to conclude bilateral FTA's in the region. -------------- Environment and Climate Change -------------- ¶9. (C) The three leaders discussed sustainable development, environmental and energy conservation, and climate change, according to the MOFA readout. PM Hatoyama noted Japan's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 25 percent by 2020. He also stressed the importance of working together in the run-up to the December Copenhagen Conference. Referencing President Hu Jintao's speech at the UN in September, Premier Wen underscored the need for each country's emissions reduction goals to reflect commonalities and for each nation to support the role of developing countries. President Lee proposed each country register its emissions reductions goals with an international organization. -------------- Focusing on Exchanges -------------- ¶10. (C) The three sides highlighted the importance of expanding people-to-people exchanges. PM Hatoyama proposed establishing an expert advisory committee to discuss ways to implement high quality exchanges, including programs that allow credit transfers among respective universities. The Prime Minister also raised prospects for holding a jointly sponsored international meeting to discuss such plans. Premier Wen and President Lee endorsed the idea, according to Nakajima's readout. -------------- Future Meetings -------------- ¶11. (C) Looking ahead, the trilateral partners will hold disaster management talks in Kobe, Japan on October 31. At this early stage, discussions will focus only on general aspects of cooperation and not on more detailed, potentially sensitive areas such as prospects for Japanese Self-Defense Forces' involvement. Initial meetings will concentrate on information-exchange-related issues, Nakajima noted. Nakajima also highlighted the Third Health Ministers Meeting scheduled for November in Japan, where the three sides will issue, among other items, a joint action plan on avian flu. The three leaders agreed to establish a cyber secretariat, an open-to-the-public information repository proposed by President Lee, to record the results and outcomes of such tripartite engagements. ROOS