SEOUL — Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on March 21 that more efforts should be made to promote healthy and sustainable development of the trilateral cooperation between China, Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan.

“We should reflect on past experiences and overcome problems and difficulties through practical actions,” Wang told the seventh foreign ministers’ meeting.

China always attaches significant importance to the trilateral cooperation and does not wish to see the cooperation being disturbed and affected, Wang said, adding that the foreign ministers’ meeting is a belated but hard-won talks that should be cherished.

Wang also expressed the hope that the meeting would offer an opportunity to properly handle the historical issues by facing up to history and advancing toward future so as to ensure the trilateral cooperation will move forward in a right direction.

China is willing to deepen practical cooperation with ROK and Japan in various fields and further promote regional economic integration as well as peace, stability and prosperity, he said.

Wang also stressed that the three countries should make common efforts to overcome political obstacles, and boost mutually beneficial cooperation as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

During the meeting, the Chinese foreign minister also introduced China’s preparations for the activities marking the 70th anniversary of the victories of anti-Japanese war and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The first ministerial meeting among the three countries was held in June 2007 in ROK and had been since held annually.

The talks, which were last held in April 2012, were suspended as China-Japan and ROK-Japan relations soured due to rows over historical and territorial issues.