Japan, China, S. Korea Agree to Boost Student Exchanges

Seoul, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)--The education ministers of Japan, China and South Korea agreed on Saturday to boost exchanges among students of the three nations. They reached the agreement at their meeting at a hotel in Seoul. It was the first gathering of the three Asian countries' education ministers. In a joint statement adopted at the meeting, Japanese education minister Hiroshi Hase and his Chinese and South Korean counterparts, Yuan Guiren and Lee Joon-sik, said that the countries will promote exchanges among students at the primary and secondary education stages. It also called for increasing financial support for exchange programs for scholars and students. Hase said at the meeting that Japan wants to deepen three-way exchanges in a wide range of areas, adding that he believes promoting personnel exchanges among Japan, China and South Korea in the education field will contribute to the peace in Asia and the whole world. The next tripartite meeting of education ministers will be held in Japan in 2017. END