China, Japan and Republic of Korea should accelerate negotiations on a free trade area and reach agreements on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership as soon as possible to promote regional integration, Premier Li Keqiang said at the seventh China-Japan-ROK leaders’ meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The premier said the development of the three countries has benefited from free trade and they should firmly stand together to safeguard rule-based multilateral trading system and fight against protectionism and unilateralism.

He also called to upgrade economic regional integration and make a blueprint for building an East Asia economic community.