Three East Asian nations released a joint declaration from their annual summit in Beijing on Monday. Discussions included free trade agreements, bilateral agreements and regional stability. The declaration lacked the most vital issue common to the three: North Korea.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiko Noda and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak have agreed on resolutions to contain North Korea’s provocative actions after it alarmed the region with its failed rocket launch in April. North Korea was also sanctioned by the UN Security Council. However, efforts unsuccessfully materialized in the declarations after Chinese fears of severing its close ties with North Korea.
The three leaders “share the view” that it is their obligation to call on North Korea to change its actions. Noda and Wen also bilaterally discussed issues on the Senkaku Islands and Nikkei
