- International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation 2024
- June 18, 2024
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Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) hosted the International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation (IFTC) 2024 on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Seoul, under the theme “25th Anniversary of Trilateral Cooperation: Institutionalizing Collaboration and Promoting Exchanges for a Brighter Future”.
This year marks a significant milestone of the 25th anniversary of trilateral cooperation among China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The 9th Trilateral Summit that was held on May 27, paved the way for the revitalization and institutionalization of the trilateral cooperation. In this context, this year’s IFTC, held at such a crucial juncture, was more meaningful and timely than ever before, attracting more than 200 on-site audiences and a few hundred online participants.
H.E. CHO Tae-yul, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK, H.E. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and H.E. WANG Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered congratulatory messages for the IFTC 2024. They highlighted the significance of further cooperation and joint efforts to implement the consensus reached at the Summit Meeting. Additionally, they reaffirmed continuous support for TCS’ activities which contribute to enhancing cooperation and promoting lasting peace among the three countries.
In the opening session, TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup delivered the opening remarks. He acknowledged the complex global crises and challenges that China, Japan, and the ROK have been facing together, and recalled that trilateral cooperation, in the past 25 years, had evolved from efforts to overcome crises and had continuously grown by turning challenges into opportunities. To advance substantive cooperation, he highlighted the importance of meticulous examination and analysis on the present reality. He also emphasized that while embracing our differences, we must pursue coexistence and harmony, continuously expanding the base of future cooperation through mutual respect and benefits.
Furthermore, on-site congratulatory remarks were delivered consecutively by H.E. KANG Insun, 2nd Vice Minister of the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. MIZUSHIMA Koichi, Ambassador of Japan to the ROK, and H.E. XING Haiming, Ambassador of China to the ROK. This was followed by keynote speeches from Mr. KIM Sung-hwan, Chairman of the East Asia Foundation, Mr. KITAOKA Shinichi, Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo, and Mr. WANG Fan, President of the China Foreign Affairs University.
In the two subsequent sessions, veteran politicians, high-level officials, diplomats, prominent scholars, and experts reviewed the past cooperation among the three countries, which is currently facing a crisis of mutual trust. They diagnosed the current phenomenon, and shared insights on future directions and ways to enhance mutual understanding in the digital era.
In Session 1 “Vision for a Shared Future: Lessons from the Past and the Road Forward”, reviewed the past trilateral cooperation and discussed the future direction, based on the recent achievements in the trilateral summit. Speakers also discussed a pathway to revitalize trilateral cooperation amidst increasing geopolitical security concerns.
In Session 2 “Digital Nexus: In Search of Solution for Descending Mutual Perception in Trilateral Cooperation”, experts and activists from the three countries and international organizations discussed the impact of social media (SNS) on public perception and explored solutions for fostering an inclusive digital transformation to improve mutual understanding.
Since 2011, the IFTC has been one of TCS's annual flagship projects, raising public awareness of trilateral cooperation and providing in-depth policy references on advancing it among the three governments. The Forum was sponsored by the prominent media outlets from the three countries: Chosun Ilbo, Asahi Shimbun, and People’s Daily.
▲Group Photo of dignitaries
▲Congratulatory Remarks from H.E. KANG Insun, 2nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea
▲Congratulatory Remarks from H.E. MIZUSHIMA Koichi, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Korea
▲Congratulatory Remarks from H.E. XING Haiming, Ambassador of China to the Republic of Korea
▲Opening Remarks from TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup
▲Keynote Speech by Mr. KIM Sung-hwan, Chairman of the East Asia Foundation
▲Keynote Speech by Mr. KITAOKA Shinichi, Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo
▲Keynote Speech by Mr. WANG Fan, President of the China Foreign Affairs University
▲Session 1 “Vision for a Shared Future: Lessons from the Past and the Road Forward”
▲Session 2 “Digital Nexus: In Search of Solution for Descending Mutual Perception in Trilateral Cooperation”
