Leaders of China, Japan and South Korea comment on North Korea

South Korea's leader said on Sunday that China, Japan and South Korea all agree that any further provocations from North Korea would be unacceptable.         

President Lee Myung-bak was speaking at the fifth trilateral summit between the three countries, hosted by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing.          

The summit was also attended by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.         

"What is most urgent (for us) now is to make all-out efforts to prevent the escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula", Chinese premier Wen Jiabao told a joint news conference following the summit.        

Lee said all three countries had agreed that they would not accept a "further nuclear test or further provocation" from North Korea.      

"We will cooperate closely in this regard", he added.         

Noda said the three nations should work together to try to prevent further provocations from North Korea.          

A failed rocket launch by North Korea last month drew sanctions from the UN Security Council, and there are now fears Pyongyang is preparing to conduct its third nuclear test.       

China remains North Korea's closest ally.        

On the sidelines of the summit, the three countries also signed an investment guarantee treaty that calls for promoting the convenience and protection of investment from each other.           

The pact is the first economic treaty between the three countries.     

The three nations also reached a consensus on launching the talk on free trade area (FTA) agreement within this year.            

Addressing a separate news conference Wen called this "the most important result" of the meeting.       

APTN