Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing on Sunday.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing, capital of China, April 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

Noting that China and Japan are close neighbors and important Asian countries, Li said maintaining and developing China-Japan relations benefits not only the fundamental interests of the two peoples but also regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

Li called on the two sides to review and abide by the principle of the treaty to firmly develop a lasting China-Japan relationship featuring peace and friendship.

He called on the Japanese side to take the 45th anniversary of the signing of the treaty as an opportunity to meet China halfway, enhance communication and cooperation, properly handle differences, stay clear of disruptive risks, and keep expanding the positive side of bilateral relations to jointly build a relationship that meets the demand of the times.

Li pointed out that major issues of principle, such as history and the Taiwan question, are the bedrock of the political foundation of China-Japan relations, which call for sincere, cordial, and careful settlement.

Noting that China and Japan are important economic and trade partners, Li said the two sides should and can make the pie of economic and trade cooperation bigger.

He called on the two countries to enhance cooperation in the digital economy, green development, fiscal and financial sectors, as well as medical and elderly care services to achieve high-level mutual benefit and win-win results.

Li welcomed Japan to continue to deepen cooperation with China and share China's development benefits.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will jointly safeguard free trade, practice true multilateralism, actively promote the process of regional integrity, maintain the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, and contribute to regional and global development.

Japan and China have great cooperative potential in a wide range of areas, said Hayashi, adding that Japan is committed to promoting cooperation with China.

Hayashi said Japan is willing to work with China to take the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship as an opportunity to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, and keep carrying out dialogue and communication to build constructive and stable bilateral relations.