TOKYO — Premier Li Keqiang said on May 9 that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea should accelerate the negotiations for a trilateral Free Trade Agreement and achieve the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at an early date so as to promote the building of an East Asian Economic Community.

Premier Li made the remarks at a trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and ROK’s President Moon Jae-in in Tokyo.

China, Japan and ROK have all benefited from free trade in their respective development and are all advocates of free trade, Premier Li said.

He stressed that under current circumstances, the three countries should stand together in an even more steadfast manner to safeguard the rule-based multilateral free trade system and take a firm position against acts of trade protectionism and unilateralism.