Japan's participation in the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative could open new space for China-Japan economic cooperation and benefit the development of third party markets, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.
Japanese media reported that the Japanese and Chinese governments plan to agree to establish a public-private council to discuss joint projects in other nations related to the B&R initiative.
When asked for comments, spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily news briefing: "The B&R Initiative is an open and inclusive platform following the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. China is always open to Japan's participation in the initiative."
The Japanese government sent a high-level delegation to attend the B&R Forum For International Cooperation held in Beijing last year. Some Japanese leaders have recently made positive statements about the B&R initiative, as have some Japanese corporations.
China has noted those signals, and believes that Japan's participation in the B&R Initiative in a proper manner could create more space for China-Japan economic cooperation and build new sources of growth, Geng said.
The spokesperson added that promoting China-Japan cooperation in third party markets will not only boost bilateral economic and trade cooperation, but is also in the interests of other nations.
"China stands ready to work together with Japan to conduct relevant cooperation in third-party markets to achieve win-win results by complementing each other," Geng said.