Keidanren chair holds online talks with Chinese Premier

Jiji Press

11:17 JST, September 23, 2022

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, held online talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday.

“Although there were tough times, the accumulation of business activities over many years serves as a key foundation that supports the bilateral relations,” Tokura said at the beginning of the talks.

Li replied that the Japanese business circle has long been an active promoter of China-Japan relations.

The session, which preceded next week’s 50th anniversary of the normalization of the two countries’ diplomatic ties, was the first between Keidanren’s chairman and the Chinese premier since October 2018.

China and Japan help each other and this cannot change, Li stressed, adding that their economic and trade relations are meaningful for the stability of both countries and the whole world.

Later, Li and Keidanren officials discussed ways to firmly maintain the free trade system among participating nations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade deal, which took effect in January this year. RCEP members include Japan and China.

“We had a very meaningful meeting. I want to see him in person next time,” Tokura told reporters.