China-Japan ties seen at dialogue as benefit to region

A stable, healthy relationship between China and Japan conforms to the shared interests of the two countries, former vice-premier Zeng Peiyan said in Tokyo on Monday.

"Chinese leaders attach great importance to developing relations with Japan," added Zeng, who is now chairman of the nongovernmental organization China Center for International Economic Exchanges. "Economic and trade cooperation is one of their shared interests and is believed to be 'a ballast stone' for stabilizing bilateral relations."

Zeng is in Tokyo for the third round of a dialogue between Chinese and Japanese business leaders and former high-ranking officials, which kicked off on Monday.

"We hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen mutual trust and create a more favorable political climate for economic and trade cooperation," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said China and Japan have an inseparable relationship. At their meetings in October, leaders of the two countries reached the consensus on consolidating the momentum to move China-Japan ties forward, deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation on all fronts and jointly exploring the third-party markets.

As China and Japan will observe the 40th anniversary of their Treaty of Peace and Friendship next year, Abe said the two countries should develop high-level contacts and join hands to deal with the huge investment demand for Asia's infrastructure facilities.

Applauding the dialogue for playing an increasingly important role in promoting practical cooperation between the two countries, Abe said he hoped this round of talks will give the bilateral economic and trade cooperation a shot in the arm.

Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, said the dialogue came at the right moment.

In 2015, the CCIEE and Keidanren jointly initiated the dialogue, which has served as part of the Track II diplomacy to move bilateral ties forward. Seventy former high-ranking officials, business leaders and scholars will discuss new approaches to developing cooperation. It concludes on Tuesday.

caihong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/05/2017 page3)