Chengdu, China

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday that Tokyo aims to realize a successful visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a state guest next year.

“Japan-China relations are improving steadily,” Abe said at the beginning of their 50-minute meeting at a hotel in a suburb of the inland Chinese city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

“I want to exchange opinions frankly from a broad perspective in order to realize a successful state visit to Japan by President Xi next spring,” Abe told Li.

Li said he wants the bilateral relationship to develop in a sound and stable fashion. He also expressed his desire to create a favorable environment for mutual visits by leaders of the two countries.

Last month, Abe and Li held talks in Thailand.

In the day’s meeting, Abe said “there will be no true improvement in Japan-China relations without stability in the East China Sea,” expressing concerns over activities by Chinese ships in waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, which are claimed by China.

Abe also called on China to lift its import regulations on Japanese food introduced in response to the 2011 nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

He also explained Japan’s position on the situation in Hong Kong.

Abe and Li confirmed a policy of seeking an early conclusion of negotiations on the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement among Asian and Oceanian countries. Abe underlined the importance of striking the RCEP deal among 16 countries including India.

Jiji Press