On April 27, 2008, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi attended the welcoming dinner of the third session of the Forum of Northeast Asian Prominent Figures and delivered a speech.

Yang appreciated the unique role the Forum of Northeast Asian Prominent Figures has played in promoting Northeast Asian cooperation, saying that China, Japan and the ROK, as important countries in Northeast Asia, are all committed to safeguarding common interests and enhancing regional peace, stability, development and prosperity despite their different national conditions and the development stages they are in. China, a member of Northeast Asia, attaches importance to good-neighborly friendship and pragmatic cooperation with its neighbors, he said, pledging that China will remain committed to building mutual respect and political trust among Northeast Asian countries and their peoples and strengthening cooperation on economy, trade, investment, finance, environmental protection and energy. He added that China will work with all other parties to actively promote Northeast Asian cooperation on culture, education and tourism, as well as between the media, parliaments and academic circles in a bid to create a regional environment featuring peace, stability, equality, mutual benefits and win-win cooperation.

The forum, cosponsored by the Xinhua News Agency of China, Nikkei of Japan and the leading ROK daily Joong Ang Ilbo, is a regional platform for celebrities from the three countries. The first two sessions of the annual forum were held in 2006 and in 2007 respectively. The theme for this year's session is "sustainable development and Northeast Asian cooperation". Former Chinese vice premier Qian Qichen, former Japanese prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, and former ROK prime minister Lee Hong Koo led their teams of celebrities from political, business, cultural and academic circles to the session.