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SAPPORO - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Japan has opened a new chapter for economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Li wrapped up a four-day official visit to Japan on Friday, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. During the visit, the first in eight years by a Chinese premier to Japan, the two countries agreed to carry forward bilateral economic and trade relations and promote pragmatic cooperation. China and Japan agreed to lift their pragmatic cooperation to a new level, Li told a reception marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship in Tokyo on Thursday. The two sides have set out the direction and pinpointed new areas for future cooperation, reaching agreements on social security, finance, health, medical science and service trade, Li said. Calling on the two countries to synergize their development strategies, Li pointed to energy conservation, environmental protection, scientific and technological innovation, high-end manufacturing, finance, sharing economy, medical and old-age service as sectors where the two sides should focus on. During the visit, the Japanese side expressed their readiness to enhance economic and trade cooperation with China.
Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of Japan Business Federation, also took part in the event. He said he looks forward to more of such highlevel visits between the two neighbors. Business people of both sides can work together, especially within the frame- work of the Belt and Road Initiative and in jointly developing third-party market, he said. For his part, Yohei Kono, former speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives, said he was amazed by the popularity of new services like bike-sharing, mobile payment and Internet-based delivery during his recent visit to China. The progress made by China is worth learning from, said Kono, adding that China and Japan should learn from each other to achieve common prosperity and make joint contribution to the development of the world. On infrastructure building, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested at the reception that Japan and China set up a cross-department committee and a forum to promote cooperation on meeting Asia’s infrastructure development demand.
(Xinhua)