Abe calls for steady growth of ties
JAPAN and China should proceed from the big picture to steadily develop their friendly and cooperative ties as the two countries share major responsibility for regional and world peace and prosperity, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
Abe made the remarks to the Chinese media ahead of his three-day official visit to China that begins today. It will mark the first time since 2011 that a Japanese prime minister is making an official visit to China.
As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Abe said the treaty marks the starting point for bilateral relationship between Japan and China.
He said he hopes to commemorate the anniversary together with the Chinese side during his visit and have frank exchanges with Chinese leaders on regional and world issues, in order to expand cooperation in all areas and facilitate greater development of bilateral ties. He also said it was normal for the two countries, as neighbors, to have differences over some issues.
Japan and China, in building a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship, have the responsibility to properly deal with those issues and steadily develop their friendly and cooperative ties from the big picture, he noted.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. Abe said China had achieved remarkable development during the past 40 years and has become the world’s second-largest economy.
As bilateral trade between China and Japan reached around US$300 billion, the economies of the two countries were inseparable, Abe said, adding that China’s economic development was a huge opportunity and should be welcomed by Japan and the world.
Meanwhile, Japan also had rich experience in dealing with environmental pollution and aging issues, which could be of reference for China’s further reform and opening-up, he said.
The prime minister also said it was of great significance to meet the strong infrastructure need of Asia, the center of world economic development, and he hoped Japanese and Chinese private companies will cooperate to meet the booming infrastructure demand of Asia.
On the Taiwan issue, Abe reaffirmed Japan’s adherence to its position stated in the 1972 JapanChina Joint Statement.
On global free trade, Abe said it was of great significance to reinforce economic order based on free and fair trade rules. Any titfor-tat trade war would benefit no one. As the largest beneficiaries of the free trade system, Japan and China should keep cooperating to reinforce multilateral free trade systems such as the World Trade Organization, Abe said.
He also said that Japan and China share significant responsibility to contribute to the stability and prosperity of Asia and the world, and that the two countries shouldering the responsibility together was also a response to the expectations of the international community.
Abe said his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last November was a new starting point for Japan-China relations. Moreover, since Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Japan in May, bilateral relationship was back on normal track.
Abe also said his talks with Xi in Vladivostok, Russia, in September and his scheduled visit to China meant that the bilateral relationship was advancing steadily toward a new phase. He hoped that the Japan-China relationship could be brought into a new era through frequent mutual visits by leaders of the two countries, Abe added.