On the afternoon of July 5, 2023, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with the visiting delegation led by President of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT) Yohei Kono, at the Great Hall of the People.

Li Qiang said that China and Japan are close neighbors separated only by a narrow strip of water. Last year the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, and this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. The relationship between China and Japan is at an important juncture of inheriting the past and ushering in the future. The two sides should abide by the principles laid out in the four China-Japan political documents, safeguard the foundation for the development of bilateral relations, adopt an objective and rational view of each other's development, and act on the common political understanding that the two countries are “partners, not threat to each other” to real effect. The two sides should do more things 

confroming to the aspirations of the two peoples and the trend of the times, live in amity, support each other, and cooperate win-win results, so as to inject more stability and positive energy into the process of jointly building a China-Japan relationship that answers the call of the new era.

Li Qiang pointed out that practical cooperation between China and Japan enjoys a solid foundation, high complementarity, and great potential, and that the two countries share extensive common interests. China is pursuing high-quality development in an all-round way, steadyfastly advancing high-level opening up, and actively building a market-oriented, world-class business environment  governed by sound legal framework. We wil, as always, support Japanese companies in expanding investment and cooperation in China.

Li Qiang said that China-Japan relations boast a profound non-governmental foundation. We hopes that JAPIT will play a greater role in spurring mutually beneficial cooperation and friendly people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. We also welcome Japan’s sub-national effort to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in such areas as economy, culture, sports, and youth.

Yohei Kono said that JAPIT is committed to promoting economic and trade exchanges between Japan and China, enhancing friendship between the two sides, and supporting China's development. JAPIT is ready to work with the Chinese side to continuously promote friendly cooperation between Japan and China in line with the spirit of mutual respect and mutual trust.

Wu Zhenglong, among others, was present at the meeting.