On December 13, 2008, Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of China, shared his views on the cooperation among the three countries as well as China's efforts to maintain regional economic and financial stability at the press conference of the China-Japan-ROK (the Republic of Korea) Summit.

Wen said that China, Japan and the ROK are close neighbors and countries with important influence in East Asia. Peace, amity, cooperation and development are not only the common aspirations of the people of the three countries, but also required for the stability and prosperity in the region. At the summit, the leaders issued the Joint Statement for Tripartite Partnership, which established a tripartite partnership among the three countries. They also agreed to regularize the "stand-alone" meetings of the leaders of the three countries. These moves are of great significance and symbolize that the trilateral cooperation has entered a new stage of development. The next summit will be held in China next year. As the successive coordinator for the trilateral cooperation, China is ready to work together with Japan and the ROK to promote cooperation among the three countries for greater progress.

Wen said that the current financial crisis continues to spread, having increasingly greater impact on the world economy. China, Japan and the ROK are important economic players in Asia and the world at large. We should put jointly responding to the once-in-a-century crisis at the top of our cooperative agenda. We should step up our dialogue on macroeconomic policies, promote financial cooperation in East Asia, take concrete measures to facilitate investment and trade and oppose trade protectionism. This should contribute to maintaining financial stability and promoting economic growth, thus playing a positive role in enhancing the confidence of the region and beyond in dealing with the financial crisis.

Wen pointed out that the cooperation among China, Japan and the ROK is an integral part of the East Asian regional cooperation and is a type of open cooperation based on mutual benefits. The trilateral cooperation also complements, promotes and supports other regional cooperation mechanisms such as the East Asian cooperation mechanism so as to share development opportunities and provide greater space for cooperation. With the adoption of the Joint Statement on Trilateral Cooperation in Disaster Management and the Action Plan for China-Japan-ROK Cooperation for the coming two to three years, we have added further substance to the trilateral cooperation and injected fresh vitality to the East Asian regional cooperation. In this sense, deepening China-Japan-ROK cooperation is in the interest not just of the three countries but also of all countries in East Asia.

Wen stressed that strengthened bilateral cooperation is the foundation and guarantee for the trilateral cooperation. I had bilateral meetings respectively with Prime Minister Taro Aso and President Lee Myung Bak today. We had very candid and in-depth exchanges of views on matters of common interest and bilateral relations, which enhanced our consensus and increased our mutual trust. I would like to reaffirm that the China attaches great importance to its friendly cooperation with Japan and the ROK as well as the friendships between the Chinese and the Japanese and between the Chinese and the South Koreans from a long-term, strategic perspective. I am convinced that as long as we respect each other, treat each other as equal partners, seek common ground while putting aside differences, and work together on a mutually beneficial basis, we will be able to develop a stable partnership among the three countries, bring more benefits to the people of the three countries, and make even greater contributions to the development and peace of the region.

Wen also dwelled on the measures China had taken to expand domestic demand and maintain stable and rapid economic growth. He said that China is adopting various measures to expand domestic demand and maintain stable and rapid economic growth. This will play an important and positive role in maintaining the economic and financial stability in the region. We have made timely adjustments to our macroeconomic policies, implemented a proactive fiscal policy and moderately relaxed monetary policy, and resolutely issued 10 measures to stimulate domestic demand. We will invest 4 trillion yuan in the coming two years with an emphasis on housing projects for low-income urban residents, projects aiming to improve rural residents' livelihoods, healthcare, education and culture. We will strengthen infrastructure development in such areas as water management, railways, highways and airports. We will intensify our efforts to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the ecological environment and carry out post-disaster reconstruction. To implement the policy of expanding domestic demand, we have developed nine specific tasks on providing financial support for economic growth, including ensuring liquidity for banks and increasing lending to small and medium-sized enterprises. We have adopted six measures in support of the textile industry. We have devised rejuvenation plans for nine industrial sectors including energy, metallurgy, machinery, petrochemicals and construction materials, with a focus on technological innovation, structural adjustment and mergers and acquisitions. We also have promoted the use of electrical home appliances and agricultural machinery in rural areas by subsidizing farmers who purchase these products. We will reduce the tax payment of enterprises and residents by up to 500 billion yuan through various measures aiming to reform the tax and fee system. We will promote healthcare reform to reduce residents' medical care burdens. We will increase farmers' income and improve the pay for teachers in primary and middle schools. We will increase the basic pension of the retired. We will also improve the system of subsistence allowance for urban and rural residents. These measures will contribute to expanding domestic demand, promoting economic growth and social development, and improving people's livelihoods. China is the largest export market in East Asia. We accept $500 billion in goods from other economies in the region every year. We will maintain our stable and rapid economic growth, robust demand for imports and external investment capability. If we can do this, we will be able to provide greater opportunities for cooperation and development for other countries in the region as well as more job opportunities for our trade partners. That is what we have been stressing. Stable and rapid growth of the Chinese economy will be an important contribution to the world's financial stability and the region's economic growth.