BEIJING, Sept. 29 -- China always welcomes Japanese enterprises to develop business and share market opportunities in the country, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said on Tuesday.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with a delegation from Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT) in Beijing.

Noting that China and Japan are close neighbors and important economic and trade partners to each other, He urged the JAPIT to keep to the right course on historical issues, continue to carry forward the tradition of friendship with China, and play a greater role in advancing China-Japan economic and trade cooperation.

Takeshi Iwaya, president of JAPIT, said that Japan's business community is ready to further expand exchanges with China, and contribute to the continuous growth of bilateral economic and trade ties and deeper mutually beneficial cooperation.