Highlights from Premier Li’s visit to Indonesia, Japan

2018-05-12
english.gov.cn

Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Jakarta on May 6 for an official visit to Indonesia, the first stop on his first overseas trip since the new cabinet took office in March.

Premier Li’s visit comes as this year marks the 5th anniversary of the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership and the 15th anniversary of the strategic partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Indonesian President Joko Widodo held a welcome ceremony for visiting Premier Li Keqiang on the square of the presidential palace in Bogor, Indonesia, on May 7.

Premier Li Keqiang and Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo jointly planted a camphor sapling at the Bogor Botanical Gardens adjacent to the presidential palace on May 7.

It was also a declaration that the reciprocal relationship between China and Indonesia will continue to scale new heights, with people of the two countries enjoying long-term peace and harmony.

While meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in the presidential palace in Bogor, West Java on May 7, Premier Li Keqiang said that China and Indonesia are important neighbors and natural cooperative partners with common interests.

In a brief statement made at the joint news conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on May 7, Premier Li Keqiang said that more Indonesian tropical agricultural products, including cubilose, coffee and tropical fruits, would enter the Chinese market, adding that Indonesian agricultural products enjoy high competitiveness in the Chinese market.

Premier Li Keqiang on May 7 met with Lim Jock Hoi, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with both sides vowing to strengthen economic cooperation and reach the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at an early date.

Premier Li Keqiang addressed a celebration ceremony of the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, on May 7.

Premier Li said China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to promote the early completion of RCEP, build the East Asian economic community and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, in order to inject positive energy into the world economy.

Premier Li Keqiang presented a traditional Chinese painting titled, “Welcome Pine of Huangshan,” to the ASEAN Secretariat in Indonesia on May 7.

The painting indicates that China welcomes the world to witness China’s modernization process while sharing the fruits of civilization with an inclusive and open attitude, the Premier said.

Premier Li Keqiang met with Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 7.

Premier Li Keqiang reaffirmed China’s commitment to economic globalization and free trade while addressing the China-Indonesia Business Summit on May 7.

“Both China and Indonesia believe in economic globalization and free trade. We both support the rules-based multilateral trading system and stand for equal consultation in settling trade disputes,” Premier Li said.

Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Tokyo on May 8 for an official visit to Japan and the 7th China-Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) leaders’ meeting.

Premier Li’s visit to Japan is the first by a Chinese premier in eight years, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

At the 7th China-Japan-South Korea leaders’ meeting in Tokyo on May 9, Premier Li Keqiang said that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea should accelerate negotiations for a trilateral Free Trade Agreement and achieve the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at an early date so as to promote the building of an East Asian Economic Community.

The three countries should carry out joint projects in such areas as capacity cooperation, poverty reduction, disaster management and energy conservation through a new cooperation mode of “China-Japan-ROK+X,” said Premier Li.

The Premier also urged the parties concerned to seize the opportunity to promote denuclearization, and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in took questions from the media after the 7th China-Japan-South Korea leaders’ meeting.

Premier Li Keqiang on May 9 called on China, Japan and South Korea to jointly safeguard free trade, expand investment and industrial capacity cooperation, as well as enhance innovation cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea, as neighbors and regional major economies, has resilience and vitality with broad prospects, Premier Li said while addressing a business summit of the three countries.

Premier Li Keqiang met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Tokyo on May 9, vowing to enhance political mutual trust and win-win cooperation.

Calling the two countries close neighbors and important cooperation partners, Premier Li said China hopes to enhance strategic communication and political trust with South Korea, expand win-win cooperation and promote further easing of the regional situation.

Premier Li Keqiang attended a welcome ceremony held by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 9 in Tokyo, Japan.

During talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on May 9, Premier Li Keqiang called for joint efforts with Japan to keep up the positive momentum and bring bilateral ties back on the right track.

No matter how the situation changes, the two sides should stick to the principles set out in their four cornerstone political documents and follow the spirit of taking history as a mirror and looking forward into the future, the Premier said.

The Premier also urged Japan to honor its promise and stick to the one-China policy on the Taiwan issue.

China has agreed to grant Japan RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (RQFII) quota of 200 billion yuan (about $31.36 billion), said the Premier.

The Premier also pointed to energy efficiency, environmental protection, scientific and technological innovation, high-end manufacturing, finance, sharing economy, and gerontic services as key areas where China and Japan should enhance cooperation.

The two sides have agreed in principle to sign a currency swap deal at an early date, and this will help safeguard financial market stability and promote investment facilitation, Premier Li said.

China holds a positive attitude toward establishing an RMB clearing bank in Tokyo, the Premier said.

Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressed the media in Tokyo on May 9.

Premier Li Keqiang met with Tadamori Oshima, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Japanese parliament, in Tokyo on May 10.

Premier Li Keqiang met with Chuichi Date, speaker of the House of Councillors of the Japanese parliament, in Tokyo on May 10.

Premier Li Keqiang met with Japanese Emperor Akihito in Tokyo on May 10.

He said his visit to Japan coincides with the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

China expects to review the spirit of the treaty with Japan through the visit, and boost bilateral ties back to normal and achieve new progress, he said.

Premier Li Keqiang said he hoped that China and Japan would carry forward the spirit of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship to push for new progress in bilateral relations.

Premier Li made the remarks while meeting on May 10 with some of the former Japanese politicians who had participated in the treaty-making process.

Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended an exhibition featuring the Palace Museum’s cultural creative products in Tokyo on May 10.

Premier Li Keqiang said on May 10 that new progress and lasting stable development should be made in the China-Japan relationship as it returns to normal.

This is the best way to commemorate the signing of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Premier Li told a reception marking the 40th anniversary of the treaty in Tokyo.

While meeting with Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of the Komeito party, LDP’s ruling coalition partner, Premier Li said China is willing to work with LDP and Komeito to create a new future for China-Japan relations.

While meeting with the heads or representatives of Japan’s opposition parties, including Yukio Edano, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Yuichiro Tamaki, representative of the Democratic Party for the People, and Kazuo Shii, head of the Japanese Communist Party, Premier Li said China and Japan are neighbors that can never be moved away.

“As an important base of Japan’s modern agriculture, Hokkaido’s agricultural products are quite competitive,” Premier Li Keqiang said during his meeting with Harumi Takahashi, governor of the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido, on May 10.

Premier Li Keqiang addressed a China-Japan Governor Forum in Sapporo, capital of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, on May 11. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also attended the forum.

Premier Li said the two sides agreed to carry out cooperation in innovative development and launch innovative dialogue mechanism.

Premier Li Keqiang, accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited a factory of Japanese carmaker Toyota in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido on May 11.

Premier Li called for deepening bilateral cooperation on joint R&D and innovation so as to produce competitive high-tech goods that meet the demands of Chinese and Japanese markets and also third-party markets.

Premier Li Keqiang, accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited an ecological farm in Eniwa of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido on May 11.