China, Japan agree to a new round of high-level economic dialogue

China and Japan on Sunday agreed to enhance dialogue and communication at various levels and convene a new round of bilateral high-level economic dialogue at an appropriate time as Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea in Seoul.

Li said the Chinese and Japanese economies are now closely intertwined and there is huge potential for cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, digital economy, green development and exploring the third markets.

China and Japan should help each other succeed, jointly maintain stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and safeguard the global free trade system, Li said.

He added that China is willing to continue to carry out friendly exchanges with Japan in various fields, through various channels and at various levels, further facilitate people-to-people exchanges and actively carry out youth exchanges, so as to consolidate public support for China-Japan friendly cooperation.

On the release of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater, Li said it bears on the health of humanity, the global marine environment and international public interests, and China is highly concerned about it. It's hoped that Japan can further demonstrate sincerity and constructive attitude to address legitimate global concerns and earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations, Li said.

He also talked about the Taiwan question, saying the Taiwan question is at the core of China's interests and it's a red line. It is hoped that Japan will honor its promise and create a positive atmosphere for the continuous development of bilateral relations, said Li.

He called on Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, properly manage differences, continuously deepen cooperation and build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship.

For his part, Kishida said Japan is willing to promote the sound and long-term development of bilateral relations and Japan adheres to its position on the Taiwan question as stated in the Japan-China Joint Statement signed in 1972.

Japan also stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen cooperation in such fields as green economy, medical care, third-party markets, facilitate personnel exchanges, deepen regional cooperation, and jointly tackle climate change and other global issues, Kishida said.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.