Chinese Premier Holds Meeting with Japanese Business Delegation to Boost Economic Cooperation

Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a meeting with a delegation led by Yohei Kono, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT), in Beijing on Tuesday. The visit comes at a crucial moment in China-Japan relations, as both countries seek to strengthen economic ties despite ongoing regional challenges.

During the meeting, Li emphasized China's commitment to working closely with various sectors in Japan to reinforce the political consensus that the two nations are cooperative partners rather than rivals. He highlighted the importance of achieving more tangible results in practical cooperation, underlining efforts to consolidate the foundations of mutual political trust and foster deeper people-to-people friendships between the neighboring countries.

Li expressed hope that Japan would collaborate constructively with China to manage differences and maintain the correct trajectory for bilateral relations. He called for promoting the healthy and steady development of ties, stressing the need to address any challenges with a spirit of partnership and shared responsibility.

The premier noted that China and Japan possess unique advantages in deepening cooperation, including complementary economic strengths and extensive cultural exchanges. He urged both sides to leverage these advantages to achieve greater mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, which could inject fresh momentum into each other's development and contribute positively to global economic growth.

Reiterating China's stance on opening its markets, Li assured the delegation that China will continue to expand high-level opening up and welcome more foreign-invested enterprises, including those from Japan. He encouraged JAPIT to play an even more active role in fostering economic and trade cooperation and enhancing the ties of friendship and trust between the two countries.

In response, Yohei Kono stressed the importance of enhanced communication and coordination between Japan and China against the backdrop of the evolving international landscape. Kono said that the two countries should work together to protect multilateralism and uphold the free trade system, reflecting the enduring value of their bilateral relationship.

Kono also reaffirmed JAPIT's longstanding commitment to promoting Japan-China friendship. He voiced readiness to further expand exchanges, deepen mutual understanding, and make meaningful contributions to strengthening people-to-people connections as well as advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in the years ahead.