Three of Asia's most powerful nations, Japan, China, and South Korea, were finally able to "completely" restore their relations after the countries' trilateral meeting ended on a good note on Sunday, effectively ending the long-standing diplomatic standoff among the three nations for the past three years, according to CNN.
Over the weekend, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye and discussed several pertinent issues, including Japan's past actions during World War II and the underlying threat of North Korea's nuclear program.
"Through trilateral cooperation I believe that we will contribute to the peace and prosperity and security of not only our three countries but the region and the international community," Park said.
The meetings were originally held annually, though they were suspended in 2012 due to territorial disputes and concerns about Japan's stance on the issue of several atrocities the country had committed during the Second World War, reports The Voice of America.
Though the historical issues are still present, Li stated that the countries' disagreements must not block regional, economic and security cooperation between the three nations. "We need to achieve mutual understanding regarding history and historical issues and we need to look toward the future and agree on a future direction based on dialogue and cooperation," the Chinese premier said.
Apart from the trilateral meetings, the northeast Asian leaders also reaffirmed their support for the revival of the Six Party Talks in order to address the problem posed by North Korea's nuclear program. The Six Party Talks originally involved the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, though North Korea's walkout in 2009 put a definitive end to any possible resolution for the issue.
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