1. The Third ROK-Japan-China Trilateral High-Level Dialogue on the Arctic was held in Shanghai, China, on June 8 (Ambassador for Arctic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Kang Jeong-sik, Special Representative for Arctic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Gao Feng, and Ambassador in charge of Arctic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Eiji Yamamoto led their respective delegations).

2. In the meeting, the three sides discussed each country’s Arctic policies and related activities; ways to strengthen Arctic scientific cooperation; cooperation at the Arctic Council; procedures in each country to implement the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean in domestic law; and the way forward for the High-Level Dialogue on the Arctic.

※ The ROK-Japan-China Trilateral High-Level Dialogue on the Arctic was created following the 6th ROK-Japan-China summit in November 2015. The first Dialogue took place in Seoul in April 2016, and the second Dialogue in June 2017.

3. The three countries adopted a Joint Statement whose gist is as follows to step up cooperation on Arctic affairs.

o They welcomed each country’s announcement of their basic plans for Arctic policies (China’s white paper on Arctic policy, Japan’s third Basic Plan on Ocean Policy, and the ROK’s second Arctic Policy Master Plan).

o They agreed to increase Arctic scientific cooperation, and continue to seek cooperation projects in other areas

※ In the meeting, the three countries agreed to review on a regular basis developments in their joint research into environmental changes in the Pacific side of the Arctic Ocean, a cooperation project in the area of Arctic science.

o They welcomed the adoption of the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean, and shared each country’s domestic procedures, and follow-up measures taken by each country.

o They took note of the activities of the North Pacific Arctic Research Community to enhance cooperation on the Arctic among the three countries.

※ The North Pacific Arctic Research Community (NPARC), a network of Arctic-related research institutes and universities of the ROK, China, and Japan, is a consultative mechanism to pursue bilateral and multilateral joint research projects, and discuss a range of economic, social and cultural issues in the Arctic, as well as ways to work together on them.

o They took note of the positive role of the Arctic Council, especially in environmental protection and sustainable development in the Arctic, and expressed willingness to further strengthen their respective contributions to the work of the Council.

4. The ROK, Japan, and China shared the view that the third Trilateral High-Level Dialogue on the Arctic served as a useful platform for expanding and strengthening cooperation on the Arctic, and existing cooperation mechanisms among the three countries, and agreed to hold the next Dialogue in the ROK next year.

* unofficial translation