China, Japan and S. Korea to cooperate on pollution

China, Japan and South Korea have agreed on Sunday that climate change, air pollution and plastic waste in the oceans are some of the areas they should prioritize in environmental cooperation over the next five years, as a tripartite meeting was held in western Japan's Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture.

In the two-day event, also known as the 21st Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting, China's Minister of Ecology and Environment Li Ganjie together with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, Shinjiro Koizumi and Cho Myung-rae, identified eight issues to focus on in the next five years. They agree to fight climate change, tackle air pollution and to better control and recycle waste as to prevent contamination in the ocean.

"We had a candid and in-depth discussion and reached favorable outcomes," Li told reporters at a news conference after the meeting, adding that as 2019 marks the conclusion of the Tripartite Joint Action Plan on Environmental Cooperation 2015-2019. The ministers are all satisfied to hear that progress has been achieved in air pollution control, prevention of dust and sandstorms, and biodiversity conservation as well as in the transition to a green economy, Li said.

"We also outlined the future direction of environmental cooperation and emphasized the importance to faithfully implement our leaders' commitment for further strengthening joint effort and collaboration in tackling issues of common interest and deepening cooperation in various fields," Li added.

Echoing Li, South Korea's Cho said close environmental cooperation is necessary between Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo and at this year's meeting "pending issues, such as fine dust, marine waste and environmental safety, were discussed and sought".

Focusing on plastic waste in the sea is a pillar policy of his agency, Japanese Environment Minister Koizumi said. He said that plastic waste could have an adverse impact on the marine ecosystem and is a global issue that is caused by waste from the land.

"It is highly meaningful that China, as a big country, clearly indicated it will take positive action on this front," Koizumi said.

In response, Li said China's economic growth has not come without negative consequences for the environment but as China had adhered to the path of giving priority to ecology and green development in recent years, solid progress had been made in curbing pollution.

Proposed in 1999 by Seoul, the ministerial meeting has been held annually to tackle regional environmental problems and has been a platform to build a clean Northeast Asia through long-standing cooperation of more than two decades.

wangxu@chinadaily.com.cn