Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with a delegation led by Yohei Kono, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday met with a delegation led by Yohei Kono, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT), in Beijing.

The two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations last year, and this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signature of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Li said. He noted that China-Japan relations are at an important juncture: taking stock of the past and envisioning the future.

Li said the two countries should always abide by the principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan, safeguard the foundations for the development of bilateral relations, view each other's development objectively and rationally, and implement the political consensus that they should be cooperative partners rather than threats to each other.

Li said that the pragmatic cooperation between China and Japan has a solid foundation, strong complementarity and great potential, and the two countries share extensive common interests.

"China is pursuing high-quality development in a comprehensive way, firmly advancing high-level opening-up, and actively building a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment," he said, noting that China will, as always, support Japanese companies in expanding investment in and cooperation with China.

Kono said that JAPIT is committed to promoting Japan-China economic and trade exchanges, enhancing the Japan-China friendship and supporting China's development, and is willing to uphold the spirit of mutual respect and trust with the Chinese side to push forward friendly Japan-China cooperation.