China Japan Photo: IC

Although relations between China and Japan are facing complicated and serious issues, both sides should take a broader strategic vision while carefully examining the crux of the relationship, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou said in a meeting with Japanese business representatives on Thursday.

In a meeting on Thursday with members of the Middle East Institute of Japan, a well-known Japanese think tank, Kong discussed his expectations for bilateral relations.

China's policy toward Japan is consistent and clear, and China has never regarded Japan as an adversary or enemy, and has always advocated peace, friendship and win-win cooperation, said Kong.

Despite China’s clear and consistent political stance, Japan has been wavering around in a dangerous way that puts relations with China in a worrisome position. Some people in Japan have tried to distort China's strategic intentions, exaggerating the "China threat" and amplifying conflicts and differences.

Kong said that the Japanese side should avoid misjudgments, meet the Chinese side halfway, and earnestly implement the political consensus that China and Japan are mutually cooperative partners that do not pose a threat to each other.

The Japanese side must clearly see the pros and cons of China-US competition, the ambassador also noted.

While most people in Japan hope that China and the US will avoid conflict and confrontation, and are unwilling to get involved in the vortex of Sino-US confrontation, a small number of people advocate cooperating with the US to contain China, Kong said, noting that this kind of incitement to promote antagonism between major powers is extremely dangerous and will lead China-Japan relations astray. 

It is hoped that Japan will remain sober and rational, he said.

Kong also talked about economic partnership and he welcomed Japan to seize the opportunity, given that China's economic prospects are bright.

With China being Japan’s largest trading partner, export market and source of imports, the interests of China and Japan are deeply integrated, and economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win. 

Last year, China-Japan economic and trade cooperation grew despite the pandemic, and bilateral trade volume reached $317.5 billion. In the first half of this year, bilateral trade increased by 23.7 percent, and it is expected to reach a record high.

China is also accelerating the construction of digitalization, with the scale of the digital economy now accounting for more than one-third of total GDP. China’s development in terms of digital transformation runs parallel with that of Japan, and Kong believes that the digital economy can become an important pillar of China-Japanese cooperation in the post-epidemic era.

But both parties must respect the laws of the market and oppose political interference in economic and trade cooperation, Kong said.

The ambassador called on Japan to abide by its promise of free trade and a market economy, and to refrain from political interference and restrictions on economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.