The environment ministers of Japan, China and South Korea have agreed to cooperate in addressing the arrival of fire ants in Japan.
Wrapping up a two-day meeting Friday in Suwon, south of Seoul, the ministers adopted a joint statement saying they will share information on the "current status of invasive alien species." as well as countermeasures.
The trilateral meeting came as the Japanese government steps up efforts to curb the spread of the stinging ants, which are native to South America but entering the country via shipping containers primarily from China.