Xi holds talk with Japan's new leader

Conversation first with Yoshihide Suga since new PM took office this month

China would like to make joint efforts with Japan's new government to properly handle major sensitive issues including historical issues and promote mutual political trust, President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

Xi made the remarks in a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the first between the two leaders since Suga took office earlier this month.

China and Japan, as important neighbors and cooperation partners for each other, have wide common interests and broad space for cooperation, Xi said. With joint efforts, Sino-Japanese relations have returned to a normal track and kept good momentum in recent years, he added.

China stands ready to uphold the principles and spirit of the four political documents between the two countries to handle sensitive issues properly, enhance mutual political trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges and build bilateral relations that meet the requirements of the new era, Xi said.

Noting that COVID-19 is still rampant around the world, Xi said that China and Japan can support each other to achieve win-win results. The two countries should maintain stable and smooth industrial and supply chains, promote the building of fair and open trade and investment environments and improve the quality of cooperation, Xi said. He added that China supports Japan in hosting a successful Olympic Games next year.

Xi called on the two nations to jointly uphold multilateralism and firmly safeguard the international order and system with the United Nations at the core.

They should strengthen communication, coordination and cooperation among multilateral institutions and regional cooperation mechanisms, work together to deal with global challenges and make positive contributions to prosperity and development in Asia, he said.

Suga said Japan considers relations with China as one of its most important bilateral ties. A stable Japan-China relationship not only conforms to the interests of the two peoples but contributes to world peace and prosperity, he said.

Suga expressed hope of maintaining close communications with Xi with a view to promoting bilateral cooperation and taking the countries' ties to a new stage. Japan wants to communicate with China to ensure the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will be signed this year, step up negotiations on the China-Japan-Republic of Korea free trade zone and jointly uphold the stability of industrial and supply chains in the region, Suga said.

Also on Friday night, Xi held a phone conversation with Angolan President Joao Lourenco. They exchanged views on bilateral ties and the fight against the pandemic and expressed joint commitment to upholding multilateralism.