A delegation from the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat headed by the Secretary-General Yang Houlan visited the NEAR Secretariat on July 4. This visit was followed the visit of the Secretary-General Hong Jong-kyoung last month. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) is an international organization established with a vision to promote peace and common prosperity among the central governments of the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the People’s Republic of China based on the agreement of the establishment of the TCS in September 2011.

The delegation listened to a presentation on NEAR activities along with the cooperation and exchange among the regional governments and shared ideas on the cooperation schemes between the two organizations. Afterwards, the delegation visited Pohang City Hall and the Pohang City Council where meetings were held with Mayor Lee Kang-duk and Chairman Moon Myoung-Ho, arranged by the NEAR Secretariat. The delegation then visited Gyeongju Yangdong Village, a UNESCO World Heritage.

Secretary-General Yang Houlan has held the position of TCS secretary-general since September 2015. He previously worked as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, and to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. He is a veteran diplomat, who is a specialist in Korean Peninsula issues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.