Members of Japan's leading opposition party and the public relations chief of China's ruling party have reaffirmed the importance of developing ties of mutual benefits and trust between the East Asian neighbors.
In his opening remarks at a meeting with the delegation from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday, Li Shulei, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, said Japan and China need to fully promote strategically beneficial bilateral relations.
Li also underscored the importance of the two countries keeping moving in a right direction so they can foster a friendship, cooperate for common benefits and achieve growth together.
In response, former CDP Secretary-General Katsuya Okada, the delegation leader, called for stepping up interaction between "high-level" Japanese and Chinese politicians.
Noting that "Japan-China relations are extremely important," he suggested that Tokyo and Beijing establish ties of mutual trust to brace for a crunch.
As for specific bilateral issues, the CDP team asked China to explain, including through court proceedings, why an Astellas Pharma employee and other Japanese nationals were detained and put on trial in the country. It also sought China's early resumption of seafood imports from Japan.
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