VIENTIANE, Nov. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The Sixth China, Japan and South Korea Summit opened here Monday morning.

    Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun met here to discuss the East Asian cooperation as well as the regional and international issues.

    The three leaders will also discuss the progress and the development orientation of the tripartite cooperation.

    The three leaders are here to attend the Eighth Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus China, Japan and South Korea. The Chinese premier will also attend the Eighth Summit of ASEAN Plus China Summit.

    During their last summit held on Oct. 7, 2003 in Bali, Indonesia, the three leaders signed a historical document to promote the tripartite cooperation among their countries in regional and international affairs in the new century.

    "We were convinced that advancing and deepening the tripartite cooperation will not only serve to further promote the stable development of bilateral relations," but also contribute to peace,stability and prosperity throughout East Asia, said the Joint Declaration on the Promotion of Tripartite Cooperation among the People's Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

    During that tripartite meeting, Wen proposed that a "Tripartite Committee" of China, Japan and South Korea be established as soon as possible, and that the establishment of a China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Area be further studied.

    Speaking after that meeting, Wen also described the joint declaration as a document of great importance in the history of Northeast Asian cooperation and in the history of the relations between the three countries. Enditem