Abe Seeks Easing of U.S.-China Trade Tensions

December 1, 2018

Buenos Aires--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his hope to see an easing of U.S.-China trade friction, at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires on Friday.

It is clear that such a trade battle will benefit no one, Abe told Xi, indicating that he hopes Washington and Beijing will take advantage of a U.S.-China summit on Saturday in improving their trade relations.

Abe stressed that he expects Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump will hold meaningful discussions at the Saturday meeting in Buenos Aires and constructively make contributions to talks at the two-day summit of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in the Argentine capital through Saturday.

For a fundamental solution to the problem, China needs to take concrete steps on such issues as its industrial subsidies and practice of requiring foreign firms operating in China to transfer their technologies to the country, as well as matters related to intellectual property protection, Abe said.

Japanese sources with access to the Abe-Xi meeting did not unveil how the Chinese leader responded to Abe's remarks.

Abe and Xi showed their readiness to further develop Japan-China relations.

Abe said that he wants to invite the Chinese president to Japan next year, adding that he aims to further promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various areas, including the economy, politics and culture, through frequent mutual visits by the two countries' leaders.

Xi said that he is willing to work with Abe and show political leadership for the development of Sino-Japanese relations. He said that he wants to inject new energy into the efforts.

Abe welcomed China's recent lifting of its import ban on rice grown in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, which was introduced shortly after the March 2011 severe accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> tsunami-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station in northeastern Japan.

The prime minister asked the Chinese side to remove import restrictions on other Japanese food items as well.

In response, Xi said that the Chinese government will act appropriately based on scientific evaluation.

Xi extended his congratulations to Abe as the western Japan city of Osaka was chosen as the venue of the 2025 World Exposition recently by the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions, or BIE. Jiji Press