The leaders of South Korea, China and Japan have agreed to continuously discuss and adequately respond to the sinking of South Korea’s “Cheonan” naval vessel.

The announcement was made in a joint statement Sunday after the issue was discussed during a trilateral summit in South Korea.

In the statement, the three stressed that they value the results of the South Korea-led international investigation into the sinking.

President Lee Myung-bak said the Cheonan issue must be dealt with in due process to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula, asking for cooperation from China and Japan. Lee added that although we do not fear war, neither do we want it.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said preventing a clash is the ultimate goal and stressed peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

The Seoul government says the fact that the three nations were able to produce their first-ever trilateral statement and that China agreed to include the Cheonan issue in the statement points to significant progress.