"Hehe" was selected as "Spirit of China, Japan and Korea - 2023 Chinese Characters"

　　Xinhua News Agency, Seoul, January 9 (Reporter Lu Rui and Zhou Siyu) The results of the "China-Japan-Korea Spirit - 2023 Chinese Characters" selection initiated by the China-Japan-Korea Cooperation Secretariat were announced in Seoul, South Korea on January 9, and "Hehe" was elected with the highest votes. .

　　When announcing the results, Natsuko Sakata, deputy secretary-general of the China-Japan-Korea Cooperation Secretariat, said that the people of the three countries chose "harmony", expressing their good expectations for the cooperation among the three countries to promote common prosperity and harmony in East Asia.

　　This activity is the first annual Chinese character selection activity organized by the Secretariat, which aims to promote people-to-people bonds based on the common cultural values ​​of China, Japan and South Korea.

The two rounds of voting will be held from December 1 to December 31, 2022, with the active participation of Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.

After the first round of voting, experts from China, Japan and South Korea discussed and determined the shortlisted 12 groups of Chinese characters.

"Hehe" won the second round of voting, and "Xiangsheng" and "Common Feeling" ranked second and third respectively.

　　Ou Boqian, Secretary-General of the Secretariat, said in an interview with a reporter from Xinhua News Agency that "Hehe" means "peace, harmony, and harmony", and it carries the desire of the people of the three countries to hope for regional peace, harmonious coexistence, and promotion of prosperity and development in the context of profound changes in the international situation. Looking forward to it together.

　　In 2011, in order to deepen the cooperation among the three countries, the governments of China, Japan and South Korea established the China-Japan-Korea Cooperation Secretariat in Seoul as a permanent international organization.

Since its establishment, under the guidance of the governments of the three countries, the secretariat has actively provided support for institutionalized cooperation among the three countries, hosted many cooperation projects in the fields of economy, trade, culture, youth, media, and disaster management, and has become a major platform for the three countries to deepen cooperation.