Participants of the Liaoning-Japan Economic and Trade Cooperation Seminar expressed their hope to leverage the geographical proximity and cultural affinity between China's Liaoning province and Japan to continuously deepen and expand pragmatic cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, industry and culture.

Japan is Liaoning's largest trading partner and its largest source of investment. Since China's reform and opening-up, the number of Japan-funded enterprises in Liaoning has exceeded 8,000, with investments exceeding $25 billion, said Hao Peng, secretary of the Communist Party of China Liaoning Provincial Committee, at the seminar held in Tokyo on Friday.

Liaoning and Japan should jointly deepen economic and trade cooperation, tap into potential for trade and investment, and nurture new growth points. The two sides have the potential to expand investment cooperation in key areas such as high-end equipment manufacturing, fine chemicals, biomedicine, artificial intelligence and semiconductor equipment, Hao said.

He also expressed hope to deepen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, jointly conduct research on core technologies, and strengthen talent exchange and training.

Liaoning and Japan also aim to deepen green and low-carbon cooperation, broaden collaboration on new energy industries, and share opportunities for green development.

Liaoning will spare no effort to support the development of Japanese enterprises in the province and provide higher quality and more efficient services, Hao said.

China and Japan are important partners in the economic field. Approximately 33,000 Japanese companies are operating in China, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao said.

The two countries have formed a mutually beneficial relationship with a high degree of integration of interests, and their cooperation is comprehensive, wide-ranging and multilevel, Wu said.

He emphasized that economic and trade cooperation is an important basis and source of vitality for the development of bilateral relations between China and Japan.

"Liaoning is one of the provinces closest to Japan geographically. The foundation of cooperation between the two sides is deep, and people-to-people exchanges are close," Wu said.

"I sincerely hope that both sides will enhance mutual understanding, tap into cooperation potential, create new growth points, and promote the steady and far-reaching development of Sino-Japanese economic and trade relations."

Huge market, talent

Nobuhiko Sasaki, president of the Japan-China Economic Association, said Liaoning has a complete industrial system and infrastructure, a huge market, and abundant Japanese-speaking talent, providing a good environment for investment.

Sasaki said that in order for Japanese companies to operate in China with a peace of mind, he hopes that Liaoning officials will continue to improve the predictability, transparency and fairness of policies and further expand Liaoning's opening up to the world.

Northeast China has a close historical and economic relationship with Japan. There are many Japan-funded enterprises in Dalian and Shenyang in Liaoning. Good relations have been established between Japan-funded enterprises and Liaoning, said Masayoshi Arai, an official from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

On April 8, Jin Guowei, vice-governor of Liaoning, presided over a meeting to understand the business conditions of Japan-funded enterprises in Liaoning and listened to their suggestions on the business environment in the province. Arai said he was deeply moved by the attitude of the Liaoning provincial government in listening to the opinions of Japan-funded enterprises and its efforts to solve problems.

"In November last year, the leaders of Japan and China held talks and reached consensus on strengthening communication at all levels," he said.

"I believe that today's exchange with Liaoning province is a specific measure to implement the consensus. Strengthening communication at both the central and local levels is very important in promoting exchanges between Japan and China."

jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn