China, Japan and South Korea issued on Tuesday a joint statement stipulating their concerted efforts to resolve environmental issues such as the concentration of PM2.5 fine pollutants.

The communique was adopted by Chinese Vice Environmental Protection Minister Li Ganjie Japanese Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara, and South Korean Environment Minister Yoon Seong-kyu, following their two-day talks in the South Korean city of Daegu.

According to the joint paper, the three countries will put their cooperation priority on six categories, including reducing air pollution and protecting water quality and the maritime environment, while promoting multilevel collaboration involving municipalities, companies and researchers.

As measures to tackle the PM2.5 and other air pollution problems, the three nations will introduce to each other successful methods and technologies to make the air cleaner.

They also agreed to exchange observation data on PM2.5 and other particles to identify yellow dust's travel routes and jointly study ocean pollution by garbage.

On the second day of their meeting, Li, Ishihara and Yoon explained their respective countries' environment protection policies.

Li said he welcomes the three countries' agreement on local-level cooperation in reducing air pollution.

The three-way ministerial talks on environmental issues started in 1999. Amid heightened tensions over the Diaoyu Islands, Chinese Environment Protection Minister Zhou Shengxian skipped last May's meeting in Kitakyushu, and was absent again this year.

The next talks will be held in China.