Agency Report
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that there would be no true improvement in bilateral relations without stability in the East China Sea.
The two leaders held a bilateral meeting in the Chinese city of Chengdu on the sidelines of a three-way summit with South Korea. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that Abe and Li met for about 50 minutes from around 10am local time. It was the two leaders’ 7th meeting, with the previous one held in November. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Abe told Li he wanted to sustain recent improvements in ties between the two countries through the promotion of constant highlevel exchanges and dialogues. Abe also urged Li to swiftly remove import restrictions on Japanese food products, the ministry said in a summary of the meeting.
Li was quoted as saying that the momentum has been maintained for improving Sino-Japanese ties, adding that they are now back on a “normal track,” according to Kyodo News.
He also said Beijing was willing to strengthen economic cooperation with Tokyo in third-country markets, adding that China would “further open up its services industry” to Japan.
During a separate meeting on Monday with South Korean President Moon Jaein, Li said China was willing to work on a rail network linking Korea with China and Europe, Yonhap news agency reported.
Li’s remarks come as China and the United States edge closer to an initial trade agreement after imposing tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods over nearly two years in a bruising trade war that has hit the global economy. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump touted a “very good talk” he had held with China’s President Xi Jinping on a deal to resolve the dispute.
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