国际英语新闻：U.S. touts ties with ROK, Japan at trilateral meeting

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that the trilateral meeting with the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan on Korean Peninsula issues underscored "deep relationship" with the two allies.

The one-day meeting held in Washington between chief diplomats of the three countries was aimed at coordinating positions of these countries on Korean Peninsula issues, Clinton told a press conference after concluding talks with her South Korean, Japanese counterparts.

"This meeting builds on longstanding efforts to intensify policy coordination and strategic dialogue among the three countries and reflects the need for greater trilateral cooperation in addressing enduring and emerging challenges," said a joint statement issued after the meeting.

The three countries "reaffirmed their mutual bilateral responsibilities and steadfast commitments under U.S.-South Korean and U.S.-Japanese security treaties, which serve as foundations for the two alliance relationships," it said.

The three chief diplomats pledged to maintain and enhance coordination and consultation on Korean Peninusla issues, the statement added.

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula after the DPRK and the ROK exchanged artillery fires on Nov. 23.

Amid the international community's repeated calls for restraint and calmness on the peninsula, the United States held large-scale naval drills with the ROK and Japan separately in waters near the peninsula.

In a telephone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday called for calm and rational response from all sides to prevent the deterioration of the fragile security situation on the Korean Peninsula.