Japan, China, South Korea vow joint work on nuclear safety

By the CNN Wire Staff

May 22, 2011 10:19 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The three nations also vow to work together on economic advancement and food safety
• A statement from the countries' leaders pledges cooperation during disasters
• Report: The countries aim to avoid "excessive dependence on nuclear power"

Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan, China, and South Korea agreed Sunday to increase cooperation on nuclear safety as Japan works to end a crisis at its Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

At a trilateral summit in Tokyo, leaders of the three nations issued a joint declaration vowing to help each other, "especially at times of disaster and adversity."

The declaration added that Japan expressed its determination to resolve the nuclear crisis sparked by the March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took part in the meeting.

The leaders called nuclear power ''an important option for many countries,'' but noted that ensuring its safety is ''a prerequisite," Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

They also "agreed to facilitate joint programs on renewable energy and energy conservation to avoid excessive dependence on nuclear power," the Kyodo report said.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency said the three "agreed in their talks to promote dialogues and cooperation concerning food safety and energy security." And they "vowed to make efforts to reach a substantial consensus on the negotiation of a trilateral investment agreement and accelerate a joint study on a free trade agreement."

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