Xi says China-Japan relations in critical period of improvement, dev’t

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China is willing to work with Japan to jointly promote the strategic relationship of mutual benefit between the two countries, and to build a constructive and stable bilateral relationship that meets the requirements of the new era.

Xi made the statement at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru.

Xi said that both international and regional situations are rapidly changing and turbulent at present, noting that China-Japan relations are at a critical stage of improvement and development.

China and Japan are close neighbors and important countries in Asia and the world, Xi said, adding that relations between the two countries bear significance beyond the bilateral dimension.

The Chinese side, Xi said, is ready to work with Japan in accordance with the principles and directions set out in the four political documents between China and Japan, adhering to the important consensus that China and Japan are cooperative partners rather than threats to each other, make joint efforts to comprehensively advance the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit, and strive to build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era.

Xi stressed that China’s development is an opportunity for the world, especially for neighboring countries such as Japan. He expressed the hope that Japan will work with China to establish correct mutual understanding, and work together to translate the important political consensus into specific policies and actions. The two sides shall face up to history, look to the future, properly handle major issues of principle such as history and the Taiwan question, constructively manage differences, and maintain the political foundation of bilateral relations.

Xi said the two sides should deepen people-to-people and sub-regional exchanges to promote mutual understanding between the people of both countries, especially the younger generation. The economic interests and the industrial and supply chains of China and Japan are deeply integrated, and the two sides should adhere to win-win cooperation and maintain stability and smooth flow of the global free trade system and production and supply chains. The two countries should also strengthen cooperation in international and regional affairs, practice true multilateralism, and jointly respond to global challenges, Xi said.

For his part, Ishiba said that Japan and China share responsibilities for regional peace and prosperity. It is of great significance to the region and the world that both sides comprehensively promote the strategic and mutually beneficial relationship and build a constructive and stable bilateral relationship.

On the Taiwan question, Ishiba said that Japan has not changed its position of adhering to the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique. Japan will adhere to the principles and consensus established in the four political documents between the two countries, and will stay on the path of peaceful development. Japan is willing to conduct candid dialogues at all levels with China in the spirit of facing up to history and looking to the future, so as to enhance mutual understanding and trust, said the prime minister.

Ishiba said that there is huge potential in Japan-China economic cooperation, and that Japan is willing to work closely with China within the framework of APEC and other organizations. He expressed the hope that the two sides will strengthen people-to-people exchanges and push for more achievements in cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade, green development, and medical care, so as to better benefit the people of the two countries.

The two sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, make good use of high-level dialogue mechanisms in the fields of economy, culture, etc, and translate the consensus reached on the discharge of the nuclear contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan into action as soon as possible.

Sixty-seven-year-old Ishiba was reelected Japan’s 103rd prime minister on Monday after securing the most votes in both houses of the Japanese Diet.

This year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is being held on Friday and Saturday under the theme “Empower, Include, Grow”, gathering heads of state and other dignitaries from 21 member economies across the Asia-Pacific region, including China, the United States, and other major economies in Southeast Asia.

Source: CCTV+