TOKYO -- China and Japan jointly launched a
high-level economic dialogue mechanism here on Thursday to further promote
economic and trade ties between the two countries.
![,wen jiabao,japan,](xin_3504041306524182703857.jpg) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R)
and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wave to the audience as they attend
an event of the 2007 Japan-China Culture and Sports Exchange Year at the
National Theatre in Tokyo April 12, 2007. [Reuters]
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The first meeting of the economic dialogue mechanism is expected to be held
this year in Beijing.
Strengthening economic cooperation is a major component of the Sino-Japanese
strategic, mutually beneficial relationship, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao,
who co-chaired the launching ceremony of the mechanism with Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe.
One aim of the dialogue mechanism is for the two countries to share economic
development strategies and macro-economic policies, said Wen.
Another aim is for different departments from the two countries to coordinate
economic cooperation and discuss major issues of common concern in bilateral
cooperation, he said.
The mechanism will also enable the two countries to increase policy
communications on major regional and international economic issues, and boost
cooperation in a wider range of areas, he said.
From now on, the mechanism will play a role in planning and promoting
Sino-Japanese cooperation in key areas such as energy, environmental protection,
financing, telecommunications and intellectual property rights protection, Wen
said.
Abe, for his part, said that the launching of the high-level economic
dialogue mechanism is the implementation of the strategic, mutually beneficial
relations in the economic sector, and a new step in the two countries' trade and
economic cooperation.
China and Japan are indispensable trading partners for each other, said Abe.
Strengthening cooperation between the two will play an important role in helping
solve environmental and energy problems faced by the world, he said.
Abe called on the two countries to conduct dialogues from a global
perspective, and boost the all-round development of Japan-China relations.
According to the recommendations of Wen and Abe, Chinese Vice Premier Zeng
Peiyan and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso will co-chair the dialogue
mechanism.