Scholars from China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) said at a forum on Monday that the three countries should strengthen their regional integration, following the example of the European Union.

The remarks were made at the 6th Session of the Northeast Asia Trilateral Forum that opened on Sunday in Hangzhou City, east China' s Zhejiang Province

Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Lee Hong-Koo, made a keynote speech at the forum, urging the three countries to accelerate the establishment of a common management system.

Many delegations at the forum echoed Lee' s opinions. Some delegations said that, compared to the North American Free Trade Area and the European Union, the free trade mechanism for the Northeast Asian countries remains at an immature stage.

Former Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan also noted at the forum that the three countries should accelerate the establishment of a free trade zone, which would be the world's third largest free trade zone after the North American Free Trade Zone and the European Union.

High-ranking officials and prominent figures from political, academic and business circles in China, Japan and the ROK attended the two-day event.

The forum, co-sponsored by China' s Xinhua News Agency, Japan' s Nikkei news group and the ROK' s leading daily newspaper, Joong-Ang Ilbo, seeks to strengthen non-governmental exchanges among the three nations.

The yearly event has alternated locations among the three countries since 2006.