Ma Xiaowei, minister of China’s National Health Commission, together with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea, attended the 11th Tripartite Health Ministers' Meeting on Nov 25 at Kumamoto, Japan.

Over 50 people from the three nations’ health departments, the WHO regional office for the Western Pacific and the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), participated in the meeting.

The practice and experience in emergency acute infectious diseases prevention and control, universal health insurance, emergency health actions after natural disasters, chronic disease prevention and control as well as healthy aging were shared at the meeting

China, Japan and South Korea decided to continue cooperation in the above areas and made a joint declaration on a press conference.

Ma said that the three countries have achieved successful outcomes in many cooperative areas and contributed to people’s health in the region since the establishment of the tripartite health mechanism in 2006.

He added that the health cooperation areas under the Belt and Road Initiative are similar to the tripartite health mechanism and he hopes the three nations will continue their coordinated health development.

Ma toured the Kumamoto Municipal Hospital during his visit to Japan.