BEIJING — Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Oct 27 urged Japan to face up to history to get trilateral cooperation among China, Japan and People’s Republic of Korea (ROK) back on track.

His comment came before China, Japan and the ROK convene their first leaders’ meeting since 2012, marking the end of a diplomatic deadlock caused by historical and territorial disputes.

Premier Li Keqiang will attend the meeting, to be held in Seoul on the sidelines of his official visit to the ROK from Oct 31 to Nov 2.

Japan’s attempt to whitewash its conduct during World War II has chilled the country’s relations with neighboring China and the ROK.

“Facing up to history is a precondition for creating a better future,” Wang said at a seminar, admitting trilateral cooperation has been severely hampered by historical issues in the past few years.

“We hope Japan sincerely reflects upon its past mistakes and makes a clean break from its disgraceful history so that it can work with China and the ROK to get trilateral cooperation back on track,” Wang said.

China hopes the upcoming trilateral summit can produce a positive outcome and open new prospects for trilateral cooperation, he said.