The 20th Beijing-Tokyo Forum opens in Tokyo on December 4 (CICG AISA-PACIFIC) 

In the context of profound changes in the global landscape, what is the best model of engagement to the benefit of both China and Japan, the world’s second and third largest economies? In a video message to the Beijing-Tokyo Forum on December 4, Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, emphasized the importance of them working together to promote stable and enduring bilateral relations while contributing to regional and global peace and stability. 

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, highlighted that placing the China-Japan relationship on the right development trajectory is of profound importance--not only for the two nations and their peoples but also for the peace and progress of the region and the world. 

The forum, which took place in Tokyo, Japan, on December 4-5, was jointly organized by China International Communications Group (CICG) and Japanese non-profit think tank, the Genron NPO. First held in 2005 and now in its 20th year, the annual event was held with the theme Restoring Peace and Rebuilding a Global Order Based on Multilateral Cooperation Through Japan-China Cooperation. 

Experts and scholars from both China and Japan engaged in discussions on topics such as bilateral relationship, economic and trade exchange, security, youth dialogue, peace and multilateral cooperation. They provided insights on how to strengthen China-Japan relations and address global challenges. 

In his speech at the forum, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda warned against growing global division and called for international efforts to ease tensions and foster a cooperative world.   

Showing good will 

On the day this year’s forum opened, the Japanese Government announced moves to ease visa application requirements for Chinese visitors, simplifying certain procedures.  

The move came 12 days after the Chinese Government reinstated visa-free entry for short-term Japanese visitors, extending the duration of each stay to 30 days. China’s policy change sparked an immediate response, with searches for Chinese destinations on the Japanese site of Ctrip.com, a leading Chinese multinational travel agency, surging 112 percent within half an hour of its announcement on November 25.

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya praised China’s decision. “Japan-China relations are once again making strong forward progress,” Iwaya told the forum, underscoring the need to strengthen communication “at all levels in a wide range of fields.”

China’s pilot visa exemption policy for Japanese ordinary passport holders reflects its goodwill and openness, according to Wang. He said he hoped this initiative will further expand cultural and local exchange, and welcomed more Japanese citizens to experience a thriving and ever-evolving China.

Wang stressed the two sides should understand the correct positioning of bilateral relations, adding that China has always regarded Japan as an important cooperation partner and hopes that Japan can view China’s development objectively and rationally.  

He expressed the expectation that Japan will work with China to follow the correct positioning of the comprehensive advancement of the strategic, mutually beneficial relations between China and Japan and implement the important consensus that the two countries should be cooperative partners and not pose a threat to one another. 

CICG President Du Zhanyuan told the forum that over its 20-year history, the event has demonstrated that open dialogue, mutual trust and friendship are key to fostering healthy and stable China-Japan relations. 

Moving forward, the forum aims to broaden its scope of discussion, encourage innovation by incorporating diverse perspectives and strengthening partnerships, and prioritize the future by engaging more youth and expanding interactions, Du said. 

More exchange in need 

On November 15, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. During their talks, Xi underscored the need to deepen and expand people-to-people, cultural and sub-national exchange, promoting mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, especially the younger generation.

There is huge room for growth of greater interaction and engagement between the two nations, according to a survey on China-Japan relations, released on December 2 It revealed that 82.1 percent of Chinese respondents had never visited Japan, while 88 percent of Japanese respondents reported they had not traveled to China.

The survey was conducted simultaneously by CICG and Genron NPO in both China and Japan from mid-October to early November. It applied a random sampling method, with a total sample size of 1,500.

The participants from both countries emphasized the importance of fostering people-to-people exchange. Chinese respondents prioritized academic collaboration between scholars and researchers (39.9 percent), talent exchanges (38.6 percent) and nongovernmental dialogues (38.1 percent). Their Japanese counterparts favored cultural, music, and art exchange (53.7 percent), student exchange programs (47.4 percent) and nongovernmental dialogues (39.3 percent). 

“Throughout much of the 21st century, under the administrations of prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Fumio Kishida, Japan took a tough stance on China, leading to bilateral relations reaching several low points. With the recent rebound in ties, the survey indicates that there remains an optimistic attitude among the public,” Lu Chao, an expert on East Asian studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Chinese newspaper Global Times. 

The Expo 2025 Osaka booth at the China International Travel Mart 2024 in Shanghai on November 22 (XINHUA) 

Vital economic partner 

The survey results indicate economic and trade cooperation remains a cornerstone of China-Japan relations. Specifically, 51.8 percent of Chinese respondents and 58 percent of Japanese respondents considered the other country to be a major global economy and a vital trading partner. 

Additionally, 50.8 percent of Chinese respondents acknowledged the high economic and industrial interdependence between the two countries, while 65.3 percent of Japanese respondents agreed that China-Japan economic cooperation is essential to Japan's future. 

China and Japan are both beneficiaries of and advocates for economic globalization and free trade. The two countries also play important roles in safeguarding multilateralism and free trade. With the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2022, China and Japan established their first free trade relationship.

The RCEP is the world’s largest free trade deal, consisting of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their five main trading partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The RCEP member states account for about 30 percent of global GDP and one third of the world’s population.

The RCEP is making regional trade more resilient and efficient, promoting investment, optimizing market access mechanisms, strengthening intellectual property rights laws and facilitating e-commerce, thus boosting China-Japan trade. 

Wang called on both sides to work together to maintain the stability and smooth operations of the global free trade system and industrial and supply chains. 

“In the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, China and Japan need to work in tandem to safeguard Asian unity and cooperation to prevent external forces from fomenting confrontation,” he concluded. 

(Print Edition Title: A Pivot toward Peace) 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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