SEOUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- It is hoped that Japan will honor its promise and create a positive atmosphere for the continuous development of bilateral relations, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Sunday.
Li made the remarks during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea.
Li and Kishida, gathering for the summit from Sunday to Monday, shared a common view on building constructive and stable bilateral relations.
It is hoped that the two countries will continuously consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation, properly manage differences, and build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, Li said.
Kishida said Japan is willing to build constructive and stable relations with China and promote the sound and long-term development of strategic and mutually beneficial bilateral relations.
The two heads of government discussed a wide range of topics covering economic cooperation, scientific and technological innovation, digital economy, green development and people-to-people exchanges.
The development of China and Japan is an important opportunity for each other, Li told Kishida, noting that the two economies are closely intertwined and their cooperation has brought tangible benefits to their people.
Kishida, for his part, said maintaining a sound development momentum of Japan-China relations is not only conducive to both countries, but also beneficial to the world.
For China and Japan, the two close neighbors and major economies in the region and the world, peaceful coexistence, lasting friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation serve the fundamental interests of both sides.
China and Japan realized the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1972, and the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in 1978 provided new impetus for bilateral cooperation.
Over the past more than a half-century, despite the ups and downs in bilateral relations, the two countries' economic and trade cooperation has maintained steady development. China has been Japan's largest trading partner since 2007.
Due to the complementary nature of their industrial frameworks, the two countries have the potential to enhance their economic cooperation.
In the meantime, there is a strong desire for interaction between the people of the two culturally connected nations. Climate change, public health, old-age care, and disaster responses are also realms where China-Japan cooperation is much needed.
Li Zhengyang, a lecturer at the Institute of Asian Studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, told Xinhua that China-Japan relations have been at a crucial moment for improvement.
"Both bilateral and trilateral (China-Japan-South Korea) mechanisms should take the lead in furthering China-Japan pragmatic cooperation in fields such as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, economy and trade, combating protectionism, and coping with the population aging," he said.
The scholar noted that China-Japan relations should be kept on the right track. Both sides share the common goodwill of improving bilateral political relations, yet some negative practices from the Japanese side need to be regulated.
During their bilateral meeting, the Chinese premier said history and Taiwan are the major issues of principle concerning the political foundation of China-Japan relations, as well as the basic issues of faith and integrity and the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and a red line, he said.
The release of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater bears on the health of humanity, the global marine environment and international public interests, Li pointed out, expressing the hope that Japan will seriously address legitimate concerns both at home and abroad, and earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations. ■
