The 19th Tripartite Meeting Convenes in Jeju

On 12 October 2023, the 19th Tripartite Meeting among Secretaries General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) and ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) was held in Jeju, the Republic of Korea (ROK). The Meeting was presided over by H.E. Secretary General Kim Hae-yong of the AKC. H.E. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ACC and H.E. Secretary General Kunihiko Hirabayashi of the AJC attended the meeting. Persons-in-charge of the relevant divisions of the three Centers were also present.

Secretary General Shi Zhongjun congratulated the AKC for hosting the first offline Tripartite Meeting in the post-pandemic era, and underlined that East Asia stands out as the leading force for the global post-pandemic recovery, while the ASEAN plus Three (APT) cooperation has been playing as the main vehicle of East Asian cooperation with geographical proximity and interconnected futures. As the inter-governmental organizations co-established by APT countries, the ACC, AKC and AJC should give full play to the advantages as linking bridges among the APT member states, further align the strengths and complement one another in their endeavours. As the upcoming rotating chair of the Tripartite Meeting, the ACC will stay committed to working closely with the AKC and the AJC in providing fresh driving forces for the APT cooperation, so as to deliver a better future for the countries and peoples in the region.

Secretary General Kim Hae-yong said that the past few years have witnessed the relations among APT countries advancing rapidly as both China and Japan have established the comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP) with ASEAN and the ROK looks forward to elevating its relationship to CSP next year. As the three Centers share the same mission to bridge and connect APT countries in terms of cooperation and exchanges, they should further enhance and strengthen this significant role and explore possible collaboration in areas of common interest. It is expected that the potential cooperation among the three Centers would be further evolved into an integral part of the APT cooperation so as to explore effective and efficient ways to deliver concrete projects on promoting trade and investment, culture and tourism, and people-to-people exchanges among APT countries.

Secretary General Kunihiko Hirabayashi said that, under the current circumstances featuring some geopolitical tremors, the constructive and productive roles of the three Centers have become even more indispensable. At the 26th APT Summit, the leaders call for the three Centers to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore joint projects in areas of trade and investment, tourism, cultural exchanges, and foster better people-to-people contacts among APT countries. The AJC will further commit itself to fostering collaboration rather than confrontation within the region, and looks forward to working closely with the ACC and the AKC to embody the spirit of win-win cooperation and shape a harmonious, prosperous, and interconnected region.　

During the Meeting, the three Centers took stock of their achievements in 2023, briefed on future plans in 2024 and shared some best practice in promoting cooperation and exchanges. All parties agreed to synergize the respective strengths and pinpoint the areas where the three Centers could have early harvest in practical cooperation such as sustainable tourism, youth empowerment, green energy and technological innovation. 

After the Meeting adjourned, the participants also visited the Jeju ASEAN Hall launched by the AKC in 2022, where boasts an exhibition showcasing the history of ASEAN-ROK relationship and the cultural heritage of ASEAN Member States.