China-Japan Joint Press Communiqué, 2007

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I. At the invitation of the Japanese Government, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council of the People's Republic of China paid an official visit to Japan from 11 to 13 April 2007. During the visit, Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He will also call on Emperor Akihito, address the Japanese National Diet and meet with representatives of the Japanese public.

II. China and Japan reiterated that they will continue to abide by the principles established in the China-Japan Joint Statement, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and the China-Japan Joint Declaration.

III. The two sides are determined to face history, be forward-looking and work together to create a better future for bilateral relations. On the Taiwan issue, the Japanese side reaffirmed its adherence to its position stated in the China-Japan Joint Statement.

IV. The two sides reaffirmed that they will, in accordance with the China-Japan Joint Press Communiqué issued during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China in October 2006, build a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" (hereinafter referred to as the "strategic relationship of mutual benefit") and strive to achieve the lofty goal of ensuring peaceful co-existence, lasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development between China and Japan. And they reached the following common understanding on the building of the strategic relationship of mutual benefit:

1. The basic goal of the strategic relationship of mutual benefit is as follows:

To work together to contribute constructively to peace, stability and development in Asia and the world at large is the solemn responsibility placed on China and Japan by the new era. Based on this understanding, China and Japan will conduct all-round and mutually beneficial cooperation at bilateral, regional and international levels to contribute to both countries, Asia and the whole world, and in this process, achieve mutual benefit and expand common interests, thereby lifting the bilateral relationship to a new height.

2. The thrust of the strategic relationship of mutual benefit consists of the following:

1) Supporting each other's peaceful development and increasing political trust. The two countries will maintain and strengthen high-level exchange of visits, strive to improve policy transparency, increase mutual visits and dialogue between the governments, parliaments and political parties.

2) Deepening mutually beneficial cooperation for common development. The two countries will strengthen cooperation in energy, environmental protection, information and communication technology and protection of intellectual property rights and improve bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

3) Strengthening defense dialogue and exchanges and working together to maintain stability in the region.

4) Enhancing cultural and people-to-people exchanges to increase mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. The two countries will carry out extensive exchanges between the youths, media, twin cities and non-governmental organizations of the two countries and diversified cultural exchanges.

5) Enhancing consultation and cooperation in a joint effort to address regional and global issues. The two countries will work together to maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia. They are committed to finding a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue to achieve the denuclearization of the peninsula. The two countries support carrying out necessary and reasonable reform of the United Nations and its Security Council. They support the important role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in East Asia cooperation. They will advance cooperation in East Asia in accordance with the principles of openness, transparency and inclusiveness.

V. The two countries decided to carry out cooperation in specific areas in a joint effort to build the strategic relationship of mutual benefit and agreed to the following:

1. Enhancing dialogue and exchanges to promote mutual understanding

1) High-level visits

The leaders of the two countries will maintain regular exchange of visits and continue to meet each other on a regular basis on international occasions.

2) China-Japan high-level economic dialogue mechanism

The Chinese premier and Japanese prime minister attended the inaugural meeting of the dialogue and launched the mechanism. They respectively nominated Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and Foreign Minister Aso Taro to co-chair the mechanism and decided on its structure and mission. They affirmed the importance of the two economies and China-Japan economic cooperation to the world economy and agreed to hold the first meeting of the dialogue mechanism in Beijing this year.

3) Dialogue between the two foreign ministries

The two sides affirmed that the two foreign ministers will maintain close cooperation on bilateral issues as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest, and that the two sides will strengthen dialogue on various issues and at various levels, including strategic dialogue, security dialogue, consultation on economic partnership, consultation on UN reform, consultation on Africa and consultation between spokesmen of the two foreign ministries.

4) Defense exchanges

The Chinese defense minister will visit Japan upon invitation in autumn this year. The two sides reached agreement on an early visit to Japan by Chinese naval warships followed by a visit to China by those of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The two sides will strengthen the contact mechanism between the two defense authorities to avoid incidents on the sea.

5) People-to-people and youth contacts

The Chinese side agreed to the opening of regular international passenger charter flights between China's Hongqiao Airport and Japan's Haneda Airport.

The two sides will jointly carry out a program of visits by 20,000 Japanese visitors to 19 Chinese cities that have direct flight with Japan as part of the commemorative activities marking the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between China and Japan.

The Japanese side announced that it will invite large groups of Chinese high school students to visit Japan in the next five years under the East Asian youth exchange program for the 21st century. The Chinese side expressed its appreciation for the invitation. The two sides reached agreement on implementing large-scale youth exchange programs between the two countries.

6) Cultural exchange

The two sides will work closely to ensure the success of the China-Japan Exchange Year of Culture and Sports. The two sides agreed to establish cultural centers in each other's capital.

2. Enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation

1) Cooperation in energy and environmental protection

The two sides welcomed the Joint Statement on Further Enhancing Cooperation in Environmental Protection. The two sides reiterated their commitment to addressing global environmental issues, and reached agreement on carrying out on a priority basis cooperation in preventing and controlling pollution in key water areas around the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea and along the Yangtze River, building a circular society, preventing air pollution, addressing climate change, preventing marine debris and preventing and controlling acid rain and sand storms.

The two sides welcomed the first ministerial dialogue on energy policy and the joint statement on energy cooperation issued at the meeting. They agreed to focus on promoting commercial demonstration programs for energy conservation and environmental protection and enhancing bilateral cooperation in energy conservation, coal and nuclear energy as well as cooperation within the Asian multilateral framework of energy conservation.

The two sides affirmed their support for the China-Japan non-governmental committee on afforestation cooperation. They encouraged participation of Japanese non-governmental organizations to plant trees in China and agreed to cooperate in sustainable management of forest.

2) Agricultural cooperation

The two sides reached agreement on actively promoting cooperation in agriculture. The Chinese side expressed its consent to importing Japanese rice that meets China's quality and quarantine standards. The Japanese side welcomed this. The two sides will continue active consultation on mutual import of agricultural products.

3) Red ibis

The Chinese side agreed to provide Japan with two red ibises, for which the Japanese side expressed its appreciation. The two sides agreed to carry out cooperation in the protection of red ibis.

4) Medical cooperation

The two sides agreed to advance the proposal of carrying out medical cooperation focusing on the fight against new strains of influenza and cancer. The Japanese side agreed to send a delegation of both government officials and representatives of non-governmental groups to China as soon as possible to promote bilateral cooperation in cancer prevention and control. The Chinese side welcomed this visit.

5) Intellectual property rights (IPR)

The two sides agreed to enhance dialogue and cooperation in IPR and work together to promote IPR application and protection on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit to ensure the steady growth of bilateral economic relations.

6) Small and medium enterprises fair

The Japanese side agreed to be a major participant to and co-host of the China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair to be held in Guangzhou, China in September.

7) Cooperation in information and communication technology (ICT)

The two sides decided to step up ICT cooperation including cooperation in mobile communication and network of the next generation.

8) Financial cooperation

The two sides agreed to strengthen financial cooperation and cooperation in financial oversight.

9) Cooperation in criminal justice

The two sides agreed that they will, as an important step to strengthen China-Japan criminal justice cooperation, strive to reach agreement on substantive issues in the negotiation on a treaty on mutual judicial assistance in criminal matters in 2007. The two sides also agreed to continue consultations on concluding a treaty on extradition and a treaty concerning transfer of sentenced persons.

3. Cooperation in regional and international affairs

1) Reform of the United Nations

The two sides agreed to enhance dialogue and consultation on UN reform and strive to expand common ground. China is ready to see Japan playing a bigger and constructive role in international affairs.

2) Cooperation in the Six-Party Talks

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to pushing forward the Six-Party Talks in accordance with the Joint Statement reached by the six parties on 19 September 2005 and their commitment to working together to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and uphold peace and stability in Northeast Asia through dialogue and consultation. They agreed that the six parties should work together to fully implement the common document of 13 February 2007 on actions to be taken in the initial phase. The Japanese side explained its policies on resolving the outstanding issues between Japan and the DPRK including the abduction issue and on accelerating the negotiation on normalization of its relations with the DPRK. The Chinese side expressed its understanding of and sympathy with the humanitarian concern of the Japanese people. It hopes to see early settlement of this issue and improvement in Japan's relations with the DPRK and is ready to provide assistance as necessary.

3) Investment cooperation

The two sides agreed to work for the conclusion of an early, practical and win-win agreement on investment among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea and for adopting an action plan to improve the business environment in the three countries.

4) Economic cooperation

The two sides agreed that the Japanese Yen loans to China, which will end in 2008, have played an important role in promoting China's economic development and Japan-China economic cooperation. The Chinese side expressed its appreciation for the loans. The two sides agreed to conduct dialogue on cooperation in providing assistance to third countries.

VI. The two sides reached the following common understanding on properly addressing the East China Sea issue:

1. Both sides are committed to making the East China Sea a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship.

2. They agreed to carry out joint development based on the principle of mutual benefit as a temporary arrangement pending the final demarcation and without prejudice to the positions of either side on matters concerning the law of the sea.

3. They will conduct consultation at higher level when necessary.

4. They will carry out joint development in larger waters acceptable to them.

5. They will speed up consultations and hope to submit a detailed plan on joint development to the leaders of the two countries in autumn this year.

VII. The two sides welcomed the setting up of a joint office to dispose of the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China. To speed up the destruction of such weapons, the Japanese side agreed, as proposed by the Chinese side, to use movable disposal equipment in future operations in China. The Chinese side welcomed this decision.

VIII. The Chinese side expressed its appreciation to the Japanese side for the warm hospitality accorded to Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit to Japan.

Original source: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt/2649/t311005.htm

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