MKS sports chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), addresses a bilateral business exchange meeting with the Japan-China Economic Association and representatives from multiple Japanese enterprises in Tokyo, on March 3, 2025. Photo: CCPIT" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-24/69e894d8-d9ae-46d1-bd00-84e076d7e36d.jpeg" />

Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), addresses a bilateral business exchange meeting with the Japan-China Economic Association and representatives from multiple Japanese enterprises in Tokyo, on March 3, 2025. Photo: CCPIT

Economic and trade exchanges between China and Japan are of great significance to the development of bilateral relations, said Japanese business representatives when attending a meeting in Tokyo, Japan on Monday, and they further expressed a willingness to deepen pragmatic cooperation with the Chinese side.

These remarks were made during a bilateral business exchange meeting attended by officials from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the Japan-China Economic Association and representatives from multiple Japanese enterprises. 

Both sides vowed to enhance bilateral business communication and collaboration in various industries, according to a post on the CCPIT's official WeChat account on Monday.

Ren Hongbin, chairman of the CCPIT, praised the achievements of China-Japan economic and trade cooperation in recent years. He emphasized China's commitment to promoting high-standard opening-up, as well as the Chinese government's measures, including the action plan to stabilize foreign investment in 2025. 

Ren also welcomed more Japanese companies and organizations to visit and participate in the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) scheduled to be held in Beijing in July, and invited Japanese business representatives to visit the China Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka Expo to be held from April to October.

Representatives from Japanese enterprises, including MUFG Bank, AGC Group, Mitsubishi Electric, Nomura Holdings, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mizuho Bank, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. 

During the meeting, Japanese companies expressed a willingness to further deepen pragmatic cooperation with the Chinese side, exploring opportunities for collaboration in areas such as technological innovation, the digital economy and green development. They also showed strong interest in participating in the CISCE to enhance international cooperation in the industrial and supply chains.

China's and Japan's business sectors have seen frequent exchanges recently, conveying positive signals for promoting the stable and healthy development of bilateral relations, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. 

"Dialogue between the business communities of both countries serves as the 'ballast stone' of China-Japan relations. Mutual visits between the economic and business sectors promote people-to-people exchanges, thereby facilitating official interactions and enhancing the stability and depth of China-Japan relations," said Da. 

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao on February 18 met and held talks with a visiting Japanese business delegation led by Chairman of the Japan-China Economic Association Kosei Shindo, Chairman of the Japan Business Federation Tokura Masakazu, and Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ken Kobayashi, according to the official website of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). 

Wang said that China's policy support for pursuing high-standard opening-up provides new opportunities for foreign enterprises, including Japanese ones, to develop in China.

MOFCOM spokesperson He Yadong said during a regular press conference on February 27 that the size of the visiting Japanese delegation reached a record high with 230 representatives, reflecting the Japanese business community's importance and expectations for the Chinese market.

"The Chinese and Japanese economies have deeply integrated, with bilateral trade exceeding $300 billion for several consecutive years and Japan's cumulative investment in China surpassing $130 billion, showcasing the immense potential for future growth," said He. 

By promoting bilateral foreign trade, China and Japan can effectively counteract pressure amid global headwinds and enhance regional industrial and supply chain cooperation in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, Da noted.