Japan, China and the United States — the world's three largest economies — all face long-term challenges even after they successfully emerge from the current global crisis, Chinese and Japanese scholars told a recent symposium in Tokyo.

The three countries need to step up cooperation to ensure post-crisis global economic and financial stability, but they still face hurdles such as lingering mutual distrust and conflicting interests, they said.

The experts were taking part in the March 30 symposium organized by the Keizai Koho Center to discuss "new Japan-U.S.-China relations after the global financial crisis." Yasuhiro Goto, editor of the Asia and Oceania news department of the Nikkei business daily, served as moderator.