China has called on Japan to work together to boost multilateralism and free trade.

During a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo in Beijing on Oct 10, Premier Li Keqiang urged both sides to boost cooperation in fields such as trade and investment, finance, innovation and high-tech.

Premier Li called on the Japanese side to explore the third party market with China, in order to maintain multilateralism and free trade.

Premier Li said China will further open up and it welcomes Japanese enterprises to increase investment in the country to strengthen the Sino-Japanese ties and realize common prosperity.

He also pointed out that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and called on both sides to firmly abide by the four political documents concerning bilateral relations, meet each other half way and accelerate the development of Sino-Japanese ties.

Yasuo was joined by a delegation of Japanese entrepreneurs, who are scheduled to attend an annual dialogue of business leaders and former high-ranking officials from the two countries later this week. The two sides are expected to focus on technological innovation and infrastructure construction in Asia.

The Japanese delegates expressed their appreciation for Premier Li’s official visit to Japan this May, saying it had brought bilateral ties back on the right track.

They also noted that Japan is willing to cooperate with China on environmental protection and dealing with common challenges like the issue of aging populations.