On March 17, Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with a delegation of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (JACE) headed by Ikeda Junichiro, Chairman of JACE's Japan-China Relations Committee and President of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, at the CPAFFC. Vice President Jiang Jiang and Director-General Zhu Dan of the Department of East Asian Affairs at the CPAFFC accompanied Yang at the meeting.
Yang Wanming commended the JACE for the long-standing positive contributions it has made to boosting economic and trade cooperation between China and Japan and advancing the sound and steady development of bilateral relations. He also expressed that maintaining and developing friendly and cooperative relations between China and Japan as important countries in both Asia and the world at large serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples. It also contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and beyond. Currently, China-Japan relations are in a critical period of improvement and development. While expressing his gladness to see vibrant bilateral interactions in recent days, Yang emphasized that complex and sensitive factors still remain in China-Japan relations. The two sides should follow through on the important common understandings reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru during their meeting in Lima, Peru, continue to consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, properly manage differences, to ensure the steady and sustained growth of bilateral relations along the right track.
Yang Wanming said that serving as a bedrock and stabilizer for the development of China-Japan relations, bilateral economic and trade cooperation is witnessing an accumulation of favorable factors. Yang introduced the guiding principles of China's Two Sessions (annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference). In addition, he added that China will further comprehensively deepen reform and remain firmly committed to pursuing high-standard opening up. This effort will bring more benefits and opportunities to China-Japan cooperation. Furthermore, Yang expressed the CPAFFC's readiness to continue to serve as a bridge for the Japanese business community to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China and make new and even greater contributions to the continuous improvement and development of China-Japan relations.
Ikeda Junichiro said that in the face of an international landscape marked by increasing uncertainties, instabilities, and lack of transparency, it is imperative for Japan and China to strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance coordination on global affairs, as such efforts are pivotal to world stability and development. The JACE has attached high importance to exchanges and cooperation with China and actively sent delegations to China, hoping to increase the correct understanding among Japanese businesspeople of China's economic and social development. China's development achievements in recent years have attracted worldwide attention. The Japanese business community is willing to continue to work with the Chinese side to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in all areas and contribute to new progress in Japan-China relations.
The delegation came to China at the invitation of the CPAFFC and will visit Beijing, Shandong, Anhui, and Shanghai, among other places.
