11th China-Japan-South Korea Culture Ministers meeting announces Culture Cities of East Asia 2020

At the 11th China-Japan-South Korea Culture Ministers' Meeting held in Incheon, Korea last week, the three ministers of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) exchanged in-depth views on further promoting practical cooperation in cultural areas.

The culture ministers - Park Yang-woo of South Korea, Masahiko Shibayama of Japan and Luo Shugang of China - promised more cultural, sport and people-to-people exchanges over the next 10 years. During that time Japan will host the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics will held in Beijing.

The three ministers reviewed the progress made since their 10th meeting and jointly signed the Incheon Declaration.

The meeting also designated China's Yangzhou, South Korea's Suncheon and Japan's Kitakyushu as Culture Cities of East Asia 2020.

The China-Japan-ROK Cultural Ministers' Meeting is one of the important ministerial meeting mechanisms among China, Japan and the ROK. The meeting offers a good platform for the three ministers to exchange opinions on a regular basis.

With the concerted efforts of the three parties, the previous meetings have played a positive role in strengthening cultural communication and cooperation among the three countries, and this year's 11th meeting will continue to push forward practical cooperation in culture fields among China, Japan and South Korea.

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IMAGE: Japan's Culture minister Masahiko Shibayama (left) and his South Korean and Chinese counterparts Park Yang-woo (center) and Luo Shugang pose in Incheon, South Korea, on Friday after pledging to promote trilateral cultural exchanges. | KYODO