Japan, China, S. Korea Start 2-Day Ministerial Talks on Environment

Shizuoka, April 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese, Chinese and South Korean environment ministers started two-day talks in the central Japan city of Shizuoka on Tuesday, covering the issues of air pollution and global warming. On the first day, Japanese Environment Minister Tamayo Marukawa also had separate talks with her Chinese and South Korean counterparts, Chen Jining and Yoon Seong-kyu, respectively. Marukawa and Chen agreed to promote joint research between Japan and China on measures to cope with PM2.5 microscopic particles causing severe air pollution in China. Meanwhile, the Japanese and South Korean ministers agreed to hold semiannual talks between senior officials, while reaffirming their commitment to an early implementation of the Paris Agreement made at the U.N. climate change conference last year. After the meetings, Marukawa told reporters that China, which is now tilting toward economic development that is friendly to the environment, will see growing importance of cooperation with Japan and South Korea. The three Asian neighbors began to hold annual talks among their environment ministers in 1999. END