Agricultural ministers of China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan held their fourth trilateral meeting in Incheon, ROK, on Aug. 11. 

Minister Han Jun led the Chinese delegation to the trilateral meeting and held in-depth discussions with Song Miryung, ROK Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Koizumi Shinjiro, Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Lee Hee-sup, Secretary-General of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, attended the meeting at the invitation of the host.  

The ministers exchanged views on advancing trilateral cooperation in regional food security, animal disease control, sustainable agricultural development and rural revitalization, multilateral and bilateral policy coordination, and people-to-people exchanges.   

Minister Han underscored that the Trilateral Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting is a high-level dialogue mechanism and an essential platform for China, Japan, and the ROK to coordinate agricultural policies and exchange technical expertise. He emphasized that the meeting was held seven years after the last edition in China in 2018. This signifies the comprehensive resumption of trilateral agricultural cooperation and is of great significance for deepening trilateral cooperation in agriculture.   

Agricultural cooperation among the three countries is rooted in a strong tradition and robust foundation, while they also face common challenges such as climate change and population aging. In light of mounting unilateralism, protectionism, and heightened global instability and uncertainty, Minister Han stressed that closer agricultural cooperation serves the common interests of all three nations. 

Minister Han affirmed that China will faithfully implement President Xi Jinping’s neighborhood diplomacy principle of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness”, and will remain committed to openness, inclusiveness, mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual learning. He stated that, leveraging the Trilateral Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting, China is prepared to work hand in hand with Japan and the ROK to broaden exchanges across more fields, elevate cooperation to higher levels, with a view to delivering substantial and practical outcomes in trilateral agricultural cooperation. 

To this end, Minister Han outlined four key proposals: 

1. Uphold mutually beneficial cooperation and share policies and best practices in food production, disaster prevention and mitigation, and animal disease control; 

2. Advance innovation-driven development, exchange experiences in smart agriculture, green and low-carbon agriculture, and sustainable agricultural practices, and promote agricultural modernization through digitalization and intelligent technologies; 

3. Strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, foster closer regional agricultural cooperation, enhance collaboration in the preservation of agricultural heritage, and jointly pass on farming culture; and  

4. Maintain openness and inclusiveness, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, safeguard a fair and equitable international agricultural trade order, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation along agricultural industry and supply chains.