Day: July 6, 2019

By NatsuoYamaguchi (Peoples Daily)10:01, June 30, 2019

The G20 Osaka summit provides a great opportunity for major economies to show the entire world their determination to work together to defend multilateralism and promote world economy.

Both Japan and the international community are looking forward to the attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Osaka summit. It is hoped that the summit will reach consensus on supporting the multilateral trade system and opposing unilateralism and protectionism, and push global economy forward.

Japan is a member of both the G7 and the G20. As far as we are concerned, the G20 involves more countries and the members are more representatives, which gives it some edges over the G7 in enabling different countries to communicate with each other and cope with the most important issues and challenges in the 21st century.

The G20 serves as an important platform for developed countries, emerging market and developing countries to gather together to facilitate benign development of world economy.

In the current world, innovation requires joint efforts of researchers from different countries and cultures. Through mutual learning and exchanges, people from different countries are able to make achievements in science and technology. As is proved, innovation needs to be conducted in an open environment.

In the face of emerging unilateralism and protectionism, it is necessary for the international community to look back on the world economic development after World War II so as to stay in the right direction of progress.

It is because of the free trade system and multilateral coordination based on equal dialogue that the world economy witnessed a rapid development after World War II. Therefore, the Osaka summit will continue to head in the right direction and defend multilateralism and the free trade system.

We cant possibly defend the free trade system without the concerted efforts of different countries. China set a good example with the foreign investment law passed by the country鈥檚 national legislature in March which has met the expectations of overseas companies, and answers their concerns through the rule of law.

In recent years, China and Japan have established closer relations under the efforts of both parties. The prospects of the Chinese economy draw the attention of Japan.

China has a large population and market, leaving great potential for domestic demand.

The country, which is devoted to deepening reform and expanding opening-up, has constantly strengthened cooperation with neighboring countries including Japan.

We are very optimistic about Chinas economic development. As two influential economies, Japan and China should seek closer cooperation. We believe that the two countries will get plenty of achievements in Belt and Road construction.

Sino-Japanese relations have experienced decades of ups and downs. No matter how the international and domestic environments change, the Komeito Party has always treated China with friendship and been committed to promoting political dialogue between the two countries. We will continue to do so in the future.

President Xi said that China and Japan are close neighbors separated by only a narrow strip of water, and the friendship between the two countries is rooted in our people. The future of the friendship between the two peoples liesin the hands of the younger generation.

While conducting inter-governmental exchanges, inter-party exchanges and exchanges between politicians, the Komeito Party will promote non-governmental exchanges and youth exchanges between the two countries.

With 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics around the corner, the Komeito Party willplay its unique role in promoting the exchange of sports, culture and youths between the two countries.

I really admire President Xi for his dedication to seeking happiness for the Chinese people and the revival of the Chinese nation as head of the worlds second largest economy.

(Natsuo Yamaguchi is the leader of Japan鈥檚 Komeito Party. The article is based on his interview with People鈥檚 Daily Japan correspondent Liu Junguo.)

(Xinhua)11:56, June 30, 2019

The outcomes of the highly anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Osaka summit on Saturday have shone a ray of light upon the clouded global economy.

At their gathering, the two leaders agreed to restart economic and trade consultations between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual respect. They have also agreed that the U.S. side will not add new tariffs on Chinese exports.

The decision to reboot the trade talks means that the efforts to resolve the trade differences between the two countries are back onto the right track.

It has been widely acknowledged that a more stable China-U.S. relationship is good not only for China and the United States, but also for the wider world.

China and the United States do share some differences, and Beijing hopes to solve these differences in their consultations. More sincerity and action are needed in that process.

As the worlds top two economies, China and the United States both benefit from cooperation and lose in confrontation. And it is always the right choice for the two sides to settle their differences through dialogues, not confrontation.

The relationship between China and the United States has at present been facing some difficulties. Neither side can benefit from such a troubled situation.

Since the two countries set up their diplomatic ties 40 years ago, China and the United States have jointly fostered their cooperation in a mutually beneficial fashion.

As a result, two-way trade have made almost unbelievable strides, growing from less than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to over 630 billion last year. And the fact that more than 14,000 people cross the Pacific every day offers a glimpse into just how intensive the interactions and exchanges are between the two peoples.

Therefore, as China and the United States enjoy highly integrated interests and extensive cooperation areas, they should not fall into so-called traps of conflict and confrontation.

When the two presidents met each other at last years G20 summit in Argentinas capital city of Buenos Aires, they reached an important consensus to pause the trade confrontation and resume talks. Since then, negotiating teams on both sides have held seven rounds of consultations in search for an early settlement.

However, Chinas utmost sincerity demonstrated over the months seems to have only prompted some trade hawks in Washington to push their luck.

Now that the two sides have picked up their trade talks, they need to proceed by treating each other on an equal footing and showing due respect, which is a condition to the final settlement of their divergence.

Apart from that, actions are also needed.

Few would disagree that fixing the China-U.S. trade problem needs wisdom and practical actions at each and every key turn along the path leading towards the final settlement. If the U.S. side delivers no action that highlights the spirit of equality and mutual respect, and asks too much, the hard-won restart will produce no results.

For China, it will always walk its own path and realize a better self-development in spite of the outcomes of the trade talks.

At the just concluded G20 summit, Xi put forward a set of new opening-up measures, sending a strong signal that China will keep up with its steps of reforms.

As the two sides are entering a new phase of their trade negotiations, it is hoped that China and the Unites States can join hands in actively communicating with each other and properly handling their differences.

It is also hoped that Washington can work with Beijing to build a China-U.S. relationship featuring coordination, cooperation and stability, so as to better benefit the two peoples, and people of other countries as well.

(Xinhua)14:05, June 30, 2019

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), will meet in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom.

Moon said in a joint press conference with Trump after holding their summit in the presidential Blue House complex that the leaders of the DPRK and the United States will meet and shake hands in Panmunjom for the first time since the armistice agreement was signed 66 years ago.

Trump himself also confirmed his meeting with Kim at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The Korean Peninsula has been left divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice. If realized, Trump would become the first sitting U.S. president to meet the DPRK leader in Panmunjom.

Moon said the upcoming Panmunjom meeting between Kim and Trump would become a historically great moment in the Korean Peninsulas peace process as there was no way to peace except dialogue.

(Xinhua)15:20, June 30, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), met and shook hands on Sunday in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, a live broadcast showed.

Trump and Kim made the historic handshake, standing on the two sides of the inter-Korean military demarcation line (MDL), marked only by a low concrete slab.

Together with Kim, Trump crossed the MDL into the DPRK side of Panmunjom, becoming the first sitting U.S. leader to step foot on the DPRK territory.

On the DPRK side, the leaders of the DPRK and the United States shook hands again and took a photo opportunity before crossing the MDL back into the South Korean side.

South Korean President Moon jae-in joined Kim and Trump later, talking with each other with beaming smiles.

Kim praised Trump for his extraordinary determination to pioneer a good future and liquidate a bad past, describing Trump as the first U.S. president to step into the DPRK territory.

Trump and Kim sat before reporters inside a building in the South Korean side of Panmunjom, with U.S. and DPRK national flags standing on the background.

Calling the Panmunjom meeting a historic moment, Trump said he had developed a great relationship with Kim.

The U.S. president said it was a great honor for him to step over the MDL into the DPRK territory, expressing his thanks to the DPRK leader for accepting his invitation.

Trump invited Kim to meet in the DMZ through his Twitter message Saturday, saying at a press conference in Japan that he would feel comfortable crossing the inter-Korean border into the DPRK territory if Kim showed up.

After attending the Group of 20 (G20) summit, Trump arrived in South Korea Saturday night and held talks with the South Korean president earlier on Sunday.

It marked the first time in history that the leaders of South Korea, the DPRK and the United States met in the inter-Korean border village.

The Korean Peninsula has been left divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice.

(Xinhua)15:32, June 30, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump crossed the inter-Korean border on Sunday to become the first sitting U.S. president to step in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Trump and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un met and shook hands at the truce village of Panmunjom, whom were later joined by South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

It is a great pleasure to meet Chairman Kim, Trump said.