China’s Li Calls for Expanding Economic Exchanges with Japan

May 10, 2018

Tokyo- China's Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called for expanding economic exchanges between his country and Japan.

China and Japan need to realize a stable development of their relationship in the long-term under a basic policy of bringing it back to a normal track from a new starting point, Li said at an event in Tokyo to celebrate the 40th anniversary this year of the conclusion of the two nations' peace and friendship treaty.

"Japan and China have entered an era of cooperation," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at the same event.

Abe suggested that Japan will promote public-private efforts to help improve infrastructure in Asia, including through cooperation with China's One Belt, One Road development initiative for countries along the old Silk Road routes, based on an agreement he reached with Li at their bilateral meeting held in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Li arrived in Japan on Tuesday for a four-day tour, his first visit to the country since he took office in March 2013. He held a trilateral summit with Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday.

At the trilateral summit, the three leaders agreed to work closely on a planned free trade agreement among Japan, China and South Korea.

At Thursday's event, Li said that China and Japan should seek common interests in a wide range of fields although there are differences and friction between the two countries. Jiji Press