On the afternoon of December 13, 2008, a joint statement on disaster management was released at the meeting of leaders of China, Japan and South Korea in Fukuoka, Japan.

According to the statement, the three countries frequently face such natural disasters as earthquakes, typhoons, floods, sediment-related disasters and tsunamis. Climate change and accelerating urbanization have changed the environment of disaster management and risks of water-related disasters like typhoons, floods and sediment-related disasters are expected to rise. Leaders of the three nations agreed to cope with the disasters. To that end, it is critically important for the three countries to conduct exchanges on projects, initiatives, successful practices, lessons, science and technologies.

The leaders agreed to reinforce cooperation in the following areas: first, working out a comprehensive framework of disaster management; second, taking measures and establishing systems to strengthen disaster prevention and reduction capacity and minimize the damage of disasters; third, enhancing effective disaster management at national, local and community levels.

They also agreed to host meetings of heads of their disaster relief departments and experts in turn, and the first meeting to be held in Japan next year will be considered.