Shinzo Abe,

Japanese prime minister

In Xi’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the two leaders agreed to step up negotiations on two regional free trade deals.

Noting Abe’s successful visit to China in October, Xi said the consensus reached is being implemented and that ChinaJapan relations have taken on a new look.

The development of China-Japan relations now enjoys more favorable conditions than in the past, and there is great potential for their practical cooperation on trade and the economy, Xi said.

Xi said the two sides should give full play to their economic complementarity and increase the scope and depth of bilateral cooperation.

The two sides should work together to complete, as early as possible, the negotiations over the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the trilateral free trade agreement between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, Xi added.

He suggested the two sides should increase strategic mutual trust based on the principled consensus he and Abe reached on building constructive bilateral security relations.

The two sides should also properly handle various major sensitive issues so as to prevent them from disturbing the growth of bilateral relations, Xi said, adding that China supports Japan in hosting a successful G20 summit next year.

Abe said Japan will continue to work with China to promote Asia’s development.

Japan, he added, is willing to join hands with China to increase highlevel communication, deepen trade and investment cooperation, expand third-market cooperation and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, especially between the two countries’ younger generations.

Abe pledged to accelerate negotiations over the RCEP and the ChinaJapan-ROK FTA.