TCS

From June 24 to 25th, 2025, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup attended the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of New Champions 2025 (The Summer Davos Forum) held in Tianjin, China. The theme of this year’s Forum was “Entrepreneurship for a New Era”.Secretary-General LEE attended as a speaker at a closed-door roundtable session entitled “Trilateral East Asian Cooperation: China, Japan, and Korea” along with key public figures and high-level leaders from the three countries to discuss the challenges that East Asian countries are facing, and called for a higher level of trilateral cooperation to address global issues. In his remarks, SG LEE illustrated the history and achievement of trilateral cooperation and emphasized that cooperation can act as a catalyst for progress in times of crisis. Following the roundtable session, SG LEE had a bilateral meeting with Ms. Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board at the World Economic Forum, to discuss how to further incorporate trilateral cooperation into WEF’s agenda. Ms. Neo stressed that trilateral cooperation is also a center of interest for business sectors as well, and expressed her hopes of continuing to communicate with TCS for future collaboration.At the Forum, SG LEE also had an interview with Xinhua News Agency and shared his thoughts and insights on the recent global economic and trade environment in East Asia, especially those regarding the impact and prospects of RCEP, FTA, and China’s economic policies.  ▲The Summer Davos Forum in progress▲Bilateral meeting with Ms. Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board at the World Economic Forum▲Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup receiving an interview from Xinhua News Agency

On June 19, 2025, the Pre-TEMM26 working-level meeting was held in Beijing, China, with Director-level officials from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, the Ministry of Environment of the ROK, and the TCS attending. The meeting was held to discuss the drafting of the Joint Communique and the new Tripartite Joint Action Plan (TJAP) and prepare logistical arrangements for the 26th Tripartite Environment Ministers’ Meeting (TEMM26). Through his remarks, XU Hongda, Director of Department of Economic Affairs of TCS, reported the outcomes of the 4th Forum on Carbon Neutrality Goals of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as the special event on sand and dust storms hosted at the 81st Session of ESCAP. Director XU expressed his hopes to further strengthen ties with TEMM through the newly to-be adopted Priority Areas in the Tripartite Joint Action Plan (TJAP), starting with the 4th Trilateral Environment Teachers Exchange Program organized by TCS in August 2025. The three ministries’ officials discussed the contents of the Joint Communique and the progress of the current TJAP while preparing for the launch of the new Action Plan to be announced this year. As a follow-up, the TEMM26 Director-General Meeting will be held in August 2025 in Yantai, China.▲Pre-TEMM26 Meeting in progress

On June 17, 2025, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) and Hubei Provincial Government jointly hosted the 2025 Trilateral Economic Seminar (TES) in Wuhan, China. The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. LIU Xuerong, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of Hubei Provincial People's Congress, along with over 200 policymakers, academics and industry leaders from China, Japan and the ROK. At the opening ceremony, Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup officially launched the 2025 Trilateral Economic Report (TER), emphasizing its recognition as a key policy reference by trade ministers of the three countries. Highlighting how China, Japan and the ROK collectively account for nearly one-quarter of global GDP and one-fifth of world trade, SG LEE stressed the urgent need to enhance cooperation amid growing protectionism and demographic challenges. He called for accelerated negotiations on the China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Agreement while deepening implementation of RCEP, noting that achieving convergence between RCEP and CPTPP would significantly advance progress toward a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific. Drawing parallels to how past economic crises had strengthened trilateral ties, SG LEE emphasized that current challenges in semiconductors, green technology and digital transformation present new opportunities for collaborative solutions. Session 1 brought together the TER authors to present the report's main findings, including PAN Yichen from Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, URATA Shujiro from Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), JEONG Hyung-Gon from Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), and Allen NG & WU Yuhong from ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO). The presentation was followed by commentary from representatives of CCPIT, JETRO and KOTRA, focused on practical strategies to strengthen RCEP implementation and advance CJK FTA negotiations, with particular attention to government-led initiatives for building more stable supply chains. Session 2 examined RCEP's regional integration and industrial supply chain connectivity from local government and corporate perspectives. Moderated by WANG Haobin from AMRO, the session featured insights from Xiaogan Hi-Tech Zone, KIEP Beijing Office, and business representatives including MUFG Bank, offering diverse viewpoints on deepening trilateral economic cooperation. As part of the TES agenda, TCS Program Officer XIE Tianyi presented key statistics from the TER, demonstrating the three economies' strong interdependence through trade and investment flows. He introduced the newly updated Trilateral Statistics Hub as an important resource for researchers and policymakers, highlighting its role in providing data-driven analysis of regional economic trends and cooperation mechanisms. The seminar concluded with strong consensus on the importance of evidence-based policymaking and expanded multilateral engagement. After the seminar, SG LEE had an interview with the Hubei Television and shared his insights on the trilateral cooperation and beyond. The next TES is scheduled to be held in Republic of Korea.  ▲Group Photo▲SG LEE delivering remarks▲Mr. LIU Xuerong delivering remarks▲Session 1 discussion▲Session 2 discussion▲TCS Statistic Presentation▲Interview with the Hubei Television

TCS Secretary-General LEE Heesup attended the 15th General Assembly of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) on June 11-12, 2025, in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.On June 11, he participated in a courtesy meeting with Liaoning Governor WANG Xinwei, along with other delegation members. SG LEE expressed sincere appreciation to Liaoning Province for hosting the event and extended his best wishes for the continued success of NEAR and all participating local governments. At the opening ceremony on June 12, SG LEE delivered congratulatory remarks, commending NEAR’s growth into one of the most dynamic platforms for local government cooperation in the region. He emphasized that, amid rising geopolitical tensions and global uncertainty, regional solidarity and grassroots dialogue remain more vital than ever. He also noted that the longstanding partnership between NEAR and TCS is like “the two wheels of a bicycle,” working together to promote peace, prosperity, and people-to-people connection across Northeast Asia. TCS will continue to deepen its partnership with NEAR and support joint efforts for sustainable regional development.▲SG LEE meeting with Governor WANG Xinwei▲SG’s Congratulatory Remarks▲Group Photo