BEIJING, Oct 11 (Askume) – Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang said he hopes Japan can work with China to keep bilateral ties on the right track as the two countries work to ease rising tensions in the region, state media reported.
Li Keqiang also expressed the hope that China and Japan will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation during talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit on Thursday, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Li Keqiang said the two countries should jointly maintain the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains and uphold the global free trade system.
According to Xinhua news agency, Li Keqiang made the above remarks after holding the East Asia Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos.
According to Xinhua news agency, Shigeru Ishiba said Japan has no intention of damaging or cutting off industrial chains and supply chains with China. Japan is committed to strengthening high-level exchanges with the world’s second-largest economy and is willing to work hard to strengthen dialogue and communication.
Shigeru Ishiba, who took over as Japan’s new prime minister late last month, also said Japan hopes to resolve pending issues through consultations and strengthen dialogue with China on international and regional issues.
The meeting comes days after China’s top diplomat held a phone conversation with Japan’s new foreign minister during which the two sides discussed a number of issues affecting the two countries amid a conflict over Japan’s territorial waters, which has soured ties between the two countries.
