The CASS Forum on the pragmatic cooperation and prospects between China and Japan was convened in Beijing in mid-May. Photo: Lyu Jiazuo/CSST

Experts shed light on the pragmatic cooperation and prospects between China and Japan at a CASS Forum in Beijing in mid-May.

It is necessary to cherish, maintain and promote the momentum of China-Japan relations’ return to a normal track and gradual improvement, said former Chinese state councilor Dai Bingguo. First, we must effectively enhance political mutual trust, truly realizing a political consensus that the two are partners that do not pose a threat to each other. China’s development is an opportunity for Japan, and Japan’s development is also positive energy for China.

Second, Dai said it is necessary to develop comprehensive cooperation, striving to facilitate economic and trade cooperation and to make up for the lagging cooperation on political security issues. The two need to promote bilateral cooperation and work together to respond to global changes and promote the sound development of the international order, jointly resisting trade protectionism and maintaining the multilateral trading system.

Third, Dai said we must inherit, pass down and promote Asian civilization. China and Japan, together with the various countries in Asia, have the responsibility to carry forward and promote the wisdom of the East, jointly explore the values of the East, and make their due contributions to the building of a community of shared future for Asia and for mankind.

The development of China-Japan relations must keep up with the development and changes of the world situation. Along with prioritizing friendship, the two need to upgrade their relations to a new stage, level and height that can meet the requirements of the new era, conform to the aspirations of the two peoples, and meet the expectations of Asian countries and the world, Dai concluded.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said that he is very pleased to have in-depth discussions with experts from the two countries on how to strengthen Japan-China exchanges and to carry out pragmatic cooperation. Japan and China are both facing an international situation of dramatic changes. China has become an important force leading the world in development together with the United States, and the world is paying growing attention to China.

The trend of China-US trade issues is affecting the world. Japan is also actively thinking about how to play an active role in the international change, Fukuda continued. At this critical moment, all parties must have an accurate view of the situation and avoid misjudgment, Fukuda added.

In the past, Japan also had trade frictions with the United States and experienced a complicated and difficult process of coordination. Now China and the United States face similar problems, Fukuda said. He expressed his hope that China will learn from Japan’s experience and lessons, turn risk into opportunity, and respond to changes and promote its own development with a positive attitude.

China should work hand-in-hand with other countries, including Japan, to face challenges together and take a concrete first step toward building a community of shared future. Fukuda said that he fully agrees with China’s concept of the community of shared future for mankind, and that sticking with this path will bring great benefits to the Chinese people and the people of the world.

Xie Fuzhan, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said that correctly understanding and accurately grasping the characteristics and direction of the current global changes is important for China’s and Japan’s compliance with historical trends, their domestic development, their bilateral relations and the safeguarding of world peace, development and stability.

“Changes unseen in a century” has profound historical and practical implications, which are reflected in the profound changes in the world economic and political structure, the significant changes in global technology and industry, the tortuous evolution of international order and regulation, and the deep exploration of the concept of globalization and China’s development path, Xie said.

As the world’s second and third largest economies, China and Japan are faced with the common task of addressing new technologies and industrial revolutions, realizing self-transformation, and leading the development of the world economy. As beneficiaries of the current international order, China and Japan have broad interest in and common positions on maintaining such principles of international order as freedom, openness and multilateralism. As advocates of a new type of globalization, China and Japan have a similar understanding of and capacity for cooperation in exploring new models of global governance and coping with new issues. As major powers in East Asia, the two countries have an increasingly important historical responsibility for regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xie concluded.

Yutaka Yokoi, Japanese ambassador to China, said that Japan-China relations have also made a good start in the new Reiwa era of Japan. Since the beginning of this year, high-level visits, economic dialogues and local exchanges between Japan and China have made great progress. Third-party market cooperation has improved, and so has the tacit understanding between the two countries.

Japan expects that the Belt and Road will play a leading role and contribute to regional and world prosperity, Yokoi said. Japan-China relations have improved, but the international situation facing the two countries still has great uncertainty, including China-US trade negotiations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Brexit, Yokoi continued. The global economic and social environment requires attention from both sides.

(Edited by Jiang Hong)