Beijing confirms trilateral FM meeting coordination underway

China, Japan and the Republic of Korea are "undertaking liaison and coordination for the relevant matters" concerning the eighth trilateral meeting of foreign ministers, the Foreign Ministry told China Daily on Thursday.

Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported on Wednesday that the trilateral meeting is planned to be held on Aug 23-24 in Tokyo.

The annual meeting was postponed in 2013 because of Tokyo's worsening ties with Beijing and Seoul over historical and territorial issues. It was resumed last year and the seventh meeting was held in Seoul in March 2015.

In response to China Daily's request for comment, the Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson's Office said in a written reply that "China attaches importance to China-Japan-ROK cooperation, and hopes the trilateral high-level meeting could be held successfully".

"All the parties should make joint efforts for this, meet halfway, and create an ideal atmosphere for the relevant meeting," the office added.

Normally, a trilateral leaders' meeting will be held in the wake of the foreign ministers' meeting later in the year.

Japan has the rotating chairmanship this year for the trilateral cooperation meetings.