Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L), Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (C) and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak shake hands after signing a joint statement for Tripartite Partnership after a tripartite meeting in Fukuoka, Japan, Dec. 13, 2008.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L, front), Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (C, front) and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (R, front) sign on a Joint Statement for Tripartite Partnership after a tripartite meeting in Fukuoka, Japan, Dec. 13, 2008.

FUKUOKA, Japan, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of China, Japan and South Korea Saturday signed a Joint Statement for Tripartite Partnership after a tripartite meeting.

In the statement, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said they gathered here to help lay a solid foundation in promoting their tripartite cooperation.

The tripartite cooperation will not only contribute to create a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for the region and international community, but also be crucial to address the serious challenges in the global economy and the financial markets, said the statement.

Content with the achievements made so far in the tripartite cooperation in enhancing mutual political trust, increasing trade and economic contacts, expanding social and cultural exchange and strengthening financial cooperation, the three leaders have committed themselves to further promote the trilateral cooperation, according to the statement.

"We have reached common recognition that the tripartite cooperation will be guided under the principle of openness, transparency, mutual trust, common interest and respect for our diverse cultures, and that it will contribute to advancing wider regional cooperation frameworks such as ASEAN+3, EAS, ARF and APEC in a complementary and mutually reinforcing manner."

The statement also said the tripartite meeting in Fukuoka will pave the way for a new era of tripartite partnership which will lead to the peace and sustainable development in the region.

Recognizing the importance of this first-ever Trilateral Summit Meeting held independently of other occasions, the leaders decided to hold the Summit in the three countries on a regular basis, with the next such meeting to be held in China next year, the statement added.