TCS

Anseong City successfully hosted the opening ceremony of the "2025 Culture City of East Asia – Anseong" on April 25 at Anseong Matchum Hall. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), as a key stakeholder in promoting trilateral cultural exchange, was invited to attend the ceremony.The event featured vibrant performances, including Korea’s traditional Namsadang Baudeogi pungmulnori, China’s dragon dance, and Japan’s Nogaku theatrical performance, each showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the respective countries.Since 2014, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have annually designated one city in each country as a "Culture City of East Asia" (CCEA), following the agreement reached at the 4th Trilateral Culture Ministers' Meeting (TCMM) in 2012. For 2025, Anseong was selected alongside Huzhou and Macao in China and Kamakura in Japan.Throughout the year, Anseong will host a variety of cultural events, including a traditional performing arts festival featuring artists from the three countries, a trilateral food competition, joint concerts, and a youth exchange program. One of the key upcoming events is the East Asia Handmade Festival, set to take place at Anseong Matchum Land in May.▲Group Photo of 2025 CCEA City Representatives▲Performance

On April 24, 2025, Secretary-General of the TCS LEE Hee-sup met with Deputy Director-General of Foreign Affairs Office of Jilin Province XIU Lizheng. LEE Hee-sup highlighted Jilin Province’s strategic importance in Northeast Asia, noting its active role as a hub for regional exchange and cooperation, and praised its contributions to advancing trilateral collaboration among China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. XIU Lizheng emphasized Jilin Province’s close ties with Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as its efforts—through platforms such as the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR)—to promote peace and prosperity in the region.

On April 20, the Trilateral Common Vocabulary Forum 2025 was held in Anyang, China, as the first official program of the 2025–2026 China-Japan-ROK Cultural Exchange Year. The Forum was co-hosted by the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), the Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial People’s Government, and the Anyang Municipal People’s Government, with support from the National Museum of Chinese Writing, the Japan Kanji Museum & Library, and the Center for the Study of Chinese Characters in Korea. The Forum, themed “Exploring Shared Heritage: The Role of Common Chinese Characters in Bridging China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea,” focused on the cultural connections and diverse evolution of Chinese characters across the three countries. Diplomats, researchers of Chinese characters, and calligraphers from the three countries, along with representatives from international organizations, participated in the event to promote collaboration and public engagement through discussions on language and culture, fostering deeper mutual understanding in Northeast Asia. During the opening ceremony, Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup of the TCS highlighted the importance of revisiting the shared connection through Chinese characters, particularly in the context of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, which share a unique cultural history in East Asia. Given this context, LEE Hee-sup emphasized that the three countries will continue to stand together and move forward by tracing their common roots. Furthermore, opening remarks were delivered in succession by LI Hongtao, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial People’s Government, and XUE Wenming, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Anyang Committee. This was followed by congratulatory remarks from USUI Masato, Minister at the Embassy of Japan in China, KIM Jingon, Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, and video remarks from Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia. As a forum commemorating the 16th UN Chinese Language Day, Prof. Shahbaz Khan emphasized that the shared vocabulary among China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea plays a vital role in building mutual understanding and strengthening people-to-people ties—directly supporting UNESCO’s mission to foster peace through intercultural dialogue, education, and respect for diversity. The ideas shared during the Forum were hoped to inspire lasting connections and contribute to greater understanding across generations. The Forum included an opening ceremony and three sessions. Session 1 brought together Chinese character experts to engage in professional discussions on the significance of common vocabulary, the current state of academic cooperation, and future prospects, including proposed tasks for the TCS. Session 2 focused on comparative studies of Chinese characters by young researchers, with discussions exploring differences and commonalities in character usage, research methodologies, and ways to strengthen academic collaboration through joint studies and exchange programs. In Session 3, calligraphers from the three countries were invited to create calligraphy works centered on the theme “Love & Future”. Held as a parallel event to the 2025 China (Anyang) International Conference on Chinese Characters, the Forum also aligned with the 2025–2026 China-Japan-ROK Cultural Exchange Year and the 16th UN Chinese Language Day. Since 2014, the TCS has promoted the 808 Commonly Used Chinese Characters to foster people-to-people exchanges and support collaboration among linguists in the region.▲Group Photo▲Opening Remarks from TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup▲Opening Remarks from LI Hongtao, Deputy Director-General, Foreign Affairs Office of Henan Provincial People’s Government▲Opening Remarks from XUE Wenming, Vice Chairman of CPPCC Anyang Committee▲Congratulatory Remarks from USUI Masato, Minister of the Embassy of Japan in China▲Congratulatory Remarks from KIM Jingon, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China▲Congratulatory video remarks by Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia▲Session 1 “Toward a Shared Future Through Chinese Characters”▲Session 2 “Bridging Cultures Comparative Research on Chinese Characters”▲Session 3 “Love & Future: Brushstrokes Across Borders”

On April 23, 2025, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup attended the 81st Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which was held on April 21-25, 2025, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Under the theme ‘Regional cooperation for resilient and sustainable urban development in Asia and the Pacific’, TCS was invited at the high-level dialogue with subregional organizations to share TCS’ experience in collaborating with ESCAP in promoting regional cooperation, during which SG LEE illustrated the critical role of the Trilateral+X modality for sharing the impact of trilateral cooperation with broader partners.Following the subregional dialogue, SG LEE had a bilateral meeting with Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. SG LEE extended his gratitude to ESCAP for their constant support and cooperation with TCS, highlighting the major achievements in the past year. Ms. Armida also expressed her thanks to TCS for co-hosting the special event at the Commission Session, and suggested to further expand TCS-ESCAP cooperation in new areas such as ageing, disaster risk reduction, sand and dust storms, etc.The meeting concluded with both parties expressing hopes of furthering cooperation in diverse areas of common interest.▲The high-level dialogue with subregional organizations taking place at the 81st Session of ESCAP▲SG LEE attending the High-level dialogue with subregional organizations.▲SG LEE and Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana during the bilateral meeting▲Group photo