The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea reaffirmed their commitment Tuesday to solving the North Korean nuclear standoff through dialogue -- but only vaguely addressed the abduction issue in their first-ever joint statement.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun also agreed to study an investment accord, though they stopped short of calling for a trilateral free-trade pact, according to the statement.
Nevertheless, Japanese officials described the statement as a key step forward in Japan's relations with China and South Korea, which have often been strained by unresolved historical issues related to Japan's invasion of China and the colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula.