Japan ready to cooperate with China on global trade plan, Shinzo Abe says
Meeting Asia’s demand for infrastructure through cooperation will contribute greatly to the prosperity of Asian people, Japanese leader says
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday expressed his intention to cooperate with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s pet cross-border infrastructure development project while stressing the need for open economic activity across Asia.
“I believe Japan will be able to cooperate well with China, which has been putting forward its one belt, one road initiative” in a free and open Indo-Pacific region, Abe said.
The prime minister made the remarks during a reception at a two-day gathering in Tokyo involving Japanese and Chinese business executives.
Tokyo is looking to improve ties with Beijing as this year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalisation of relations, and next year will mark 40 years since the signing of a bilateral peace and friendship treaty.
Abe hopes to host a trilateral summit involving Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Moon Jae In before the end of this year.