Japan will host a trilateral summit with China and South Korea in Dazaifu Fukuoka Prefecture on December 13 to discuss issues including the ongoing global financial crisis, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told a press conference on Friday.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak will meet at the Kyushu National Museum and are expected to deepen cooperation on a range of subjects, the Secretary said.

The three countries have held eight rounds of leaders meetings on the margins of international conferences so far but this will be the first trilateral meeting held independently.

The three agreed last November to hold trilateral meetings in their countries in rotation. The first such meeting was planned to be held in September in Japan but was postponed due to the abrupt resignation of Aso's predecessor Yasuo Fukuda.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2008)