Experts call for improvement in economic relations

Updated: 2012-03-20 13:25

By Zhang Yunbi (China Daily)

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Beijing and Tokyo should develop economic ties with a broader vision to face both regional and global challenges and shelve disputes for mutual benefit, experts said on Monday.

Policymakers from China and Japan should improve their relations, said Yasushi Kudo, representative of Japan's Genron NPO.

"China and Japan respectively account for the largest and second-largest portion of global foreign currency reserves, and both countries should focus on how to move forward together," Kudo said.

Economic relations between the two countries were tested by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami, which led to a nuclear meltdown in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture. China temporarily suspended imports from Japanese prefectures affected by radiation and toughened its grip on the quarantine and control of agricultural products from Japan.

The resumption of Japan's food exports to China was on the agenda of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's official visit to China last December.

Despite the challenges created by the nuclear accident, bilateral trade between China and Japan reached a record level $342.9 billion in 2011, according to Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua. That figure was $297.7 billion in 2010.

China's efforts to manage the paradigm shift of the domestic economy will present a "new chance" for Japan to boost economic cooperation with China. "China and Japan are expected to boost cooperation in Japan's post-quake reconstruction, energy saving, environment protection, senior catering, agriculture and logistic industries," Cheng said.

The record level of trade was achieved in the context of several disadvantageous global factors, including the lingering European debt crisis.

Meanwhile, the mutually beneficial ties between China and Japan were stressed in remarks that senior officials made recently.

"The two economies have seen strong reciprocal advantages," Xu Xianchun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics, said earlier in March.

Disputes and incidents involving maritime resources should be avoided, said Yasushi Akashi, former undersecretary-general of the United Nations.

"We have such a shared interest in economic affairs," he said, adding that he is optimistic about the Free Trade Agreement between China and Japan.

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn