East Asian culture ministers deepen ties in Harbin

Culture ministers of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea exchanged views on further enhancing practical cooperation in cultural areas at the 10th China-Japan-ROK Cultural Ministers' Meeting held Thursday in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang, Japan's State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yoshimasa Hayashi and the Republic of Korea's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-whan attended the meeting, which aims to boost cooperation and understanding between cities in East Asian countries.

At the meeting, the three sides also went over the progress made since their ninth meeting held in Kyoto, Japan, last year.

"Culture ministers of the three nations have met every year to promote cultural cooperation in Northeast Asia since the first meeting took place in Nantong, China, in 2007," said Luo. "Under the meeting mechanism, we three sides have conducted effective cooperation to enhance understanding, deepen trust and promote friendship."

Luo also mentioned the success of the Pyeongchang Winter Games.

"It is the first in a series of three global sporting events in Northeast Asia. Then we will welcome the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games," he said. "We hope to strengthen cultural exchanges and cooperation in the Olympic Games with Japan and South Korea."

The event also designated China's Xi'an, ROK's Inchon and Japan's Toshima-ku district in Tokyo as the 2019 Culture Cities of East Asia.