Japan PM Abe and China Premier Li comment after talks in Beijing
771 views · Published 31 October 2018 · 3:33 · Indexed 6 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(26 Oct 2018) Japan and China on Friday agreed to forge closer ties and cooperate in a broad range of issues including on trade and economy, North Korea and maritime cooperation in the East China Sea. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a second meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on Friday during the first formal visit to Beijing by a Japanese leader in nearly seven years that heralds warming ties following years of acrimony. Abe, who has been accompanied by a 500-strong business delegation, expressed hopes for closer ties and a shift in relations from an age of "competition to cooperation," an apparent reference to rifts that until recently have muted Japanese business interests in China. Multiple deals were expected to be signed during his trip. Abe is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later Friday, possibly cementing the steady recovery in relations that hit a low in 2012 amid a dispute over East China Sea islands. Ties have also been dogged by enduring Chinese resentment over Japan's invasion and occupation during World War II and a political, military and economic rivalry for influence in Asia and beyond. However, for now at least, the sides appear to have drawn closer by economic necessity brought about partly by U.S. President Donald Trump's launching of punitive tariffs on imports. Asia's two largest economies are seeking to deepen trade, investment and cooperation on infrastructure and other projects in third countries. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/ca1bc8e889d5b4a147e6662671535ce9
