China, Japan express willingness to enhance communication, cooperation

TOKYO -- Cai Qi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee wrapped up a visit to Japan on Sunday, with both sides expressing willingness to maintain the good momentum of bilateral relations and further enhance cooperation and communication.

At the invitation of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party, Cai led a delegation of the CPC to Japan from Thursday to Sunday. During the visit, he met with Secretary-General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Toshihiro Nikai and other party leaders and government officials.

Cai said that currently Sino-Japanese relations are returning to the right track and showing positive development momentum. The Chinese side is ready to work with Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders of the states, strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance political mutual trust, tighten public opinion ties, increase inter-party, local and Olympic exchanges and cooperation, and jointly open up new prospects for bilateral relations.

He also stated China's stance on the trade frictions between China and the United States, saying that China and Japan should strengthen communication and coordination, jointly address the challenges of protectionism and unilateralism, promote the construction of an open world economy, and make important contributions to promoting the development and prosperity of Asia and the world.

The Japanese side said that Japan attaches great importance to Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming attendance at the G20 Summit in Osaka and hopes to take this opportunity to achieve positive results in promoting free trade and raise bilateral relations to a new level.

Japan is willing to continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in political parties, localities, the Olympics, youth and other fields, and inject new impetus into the improvement and development of bilateral relations, the Japanese side added.