Japan eyes statement on banking crisis at summit with China, S. Korea

TOKYO, Nov. 16 Kyodo -
The Japanese government is working toward preparing a joint statement on the
global financial crisis to be issued at a trilateral summit with China and
South Korea scheduled in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in mid-December,
government sources said Sunday.

The envisioned statement is intended for release ahead of another summit
covering a broader region slated for Thailand right after the trilateral
meeting, the sources said.
The three nations are also planning to hold bilateral summits in nearby Fukuoka
City, and the statement is expected to include what the leaders will discuss in
these meetings as well, according to the sources.
The trilateral summit will be held at Kyushu National Museum in Dazaifu.
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will chair the meeting with Chinese Premier
Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak. A series of bilateral and
trilateral meetings are being eyed for around Dec. 14.
The trilateral summit is expected to focus on responses to the global financial
turmoil, the sources said. The leaders will also likely confirm stepping up
cooperation toward holding the next round of the stalled six-party talks on the
denuclearization of North Korea at an early date.
Other topics could include climate change, food safety and international
cooperation for disaster preparedness, the sources said.
The leaders of the three countries have typically met on the sidelines of
international meetings. In December last year, the countries agreed to hold
trilateral summits on a regular basis with each of the three nations chairing
meetings in turn.
Japan was scheduled to hold a trilateral summit in the city of Kobe in
September but it was postponed after the abrupt resignation that month of then
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
==Kyodo