Beijing: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a second meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on Friday during the first formal visit to Beijing by a Japanese leader in nearly seven years that heralds warming ties following years of acrimony.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Li said 500 business agreements worth USD 18 billion had been signed between Chinese and Japanese companies during the visit, displaying the “bright future” for cooperation between the sides. Abe, who has been accompanied by a 500-strong business delegation, expressed hopes for closer ties and a shift in relations from an age of “competition to cooperation,” an apparent reference to rifts that until recently have muted Japanese business interests in China.
Asia’s two largest economies are seeking to deepen trade, investment and cooperation on infrastructure and other projects in third countries. China is Japan’s largest trading partner and economic ties have remained strong despite political differences. Abe is scheduled to return to Japan on Saturday. (AP)
