China Japan economic and trade cooperation enhances the well-being of the people of both countries

September 24 is five days away from the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China Japan diplomatic relations. On the same day, in a mall in Chaoyang District, Beijing, a folk commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China Japan diplomatic relations with the theme of "working together to create the future" was held here. By watching the exhibition, experiencing traditional Japanese skills such as tea ceremony and flower path, the citizens experienced the origin of Sino Japanese cultural exchanges, and purchased various imported goods they loved at the special commodity booth.
Having learned the news in advance, some citizens quietly waited outside the security area in the early morning. In the venue, the numerous participants made the already crowded activity site even more cramped.
Ms. Yang, a citizen who has worked in Japanese funded enterprises for many years, brought her children to the activity site that day. She lingered for a long time in front of the booth full of imported goods, and finally bought several items for herself.
"Before the COVID-19 epidemic, I often used the opportunity to travel to Japan to buy the goods I needed. Now, affected by the epidemic, we can only buy in domestic malls, and the price is much higher than the local price." Ms. Yang told the reporter, "This activity allows us to buy these imported goods at a preferential price again, and we hope that this activity can be larger in the future, so that more people can enjoy substantial benefits."
The reporter learned at the scene that there were many participants who had similar expectations to Ms. Yang. The reason why it is favored by consumers is that the economic and trade cooperation between China and Japan has also been deepening in recent years.
According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Commerce of China, the total import and export trade between China and Japan will reach 317.53 billion US dollars in 2020, an increase of 0.8% over the previous year. Among them, China's exports to Japan reached US $142.66 billion, down 0.4% year on year; China imported US $174.87 billion from Japan, up 1.8% year on year. Even under the influence of the epidemic, the bilateral trade volume between China and Japan will still reach 371.4 billion US dollars in 2021, an increase of 17.1% year on year, a record high. At present, China has become an important investment target of Japan. As of March 2022, Japan's accumulative investment in China has exceeded 120 billion dollars, and there are more than 30000 Japanese enterprises in China.
Cao Changbu, Deputy Director of Beijing Representative Office of Japan Trade Promotion Agency, told reporters: "According to the statistics of the Japanese Customs, when the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1972, the trade volume between China and Japan was about 1.1 billion dollars. By 2021, the trade volume between the two countries will have reached 391.4 billion dollars, about 355.8 times the trade volume of the two countries in 1972. Over the past 50 years, the rapid growth of China's economy has enabled many Japanese enterprises in China to enjoy the dividends of development. The continuous growth of the trade volume between the two countries has also contributed to the improvement of the living standards of the two peoples Has made great contributions. "
At the folk commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China Japan diplomatic relations, the Beijing Representative Office of the Japan Trade Promotion Agency selected dozens of goods for exhibition. Consumers can choose their favorite products on site and place orders online by scanning the code. After that, these imported goods will be sent home by mail.
Caochangbu told the reporter: "These goods are the most popular among the more than 400 kinds of exhibits displayed in the Japan Pavilion at this year's China International Service Trade Fair. From today's on-site situation, 'white bear pudding' is very popular. In addition, skin care products, baby products, wealth cat and other craft products are also popular with many consumers."
From the perspective of Caochangbu, with the continued implementation of the preferential policies of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) in the future, the potential of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries will continue to be released.
"RCEP is a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic cooperation agreement. According to the calculation of the Japanese government, after a period of accumulation, compared with that before the agreement came into force, RCEP is expected to increase Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2.7%. This will exceed the economic growth brought to Japan by the Comprehensive and Further Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)." According to the introduction of Grassland Steps, under the relevant rules of RCEP, the tariff reduction of some commodities in the future can reach up to 91%. This has provided more opportunities for economic and trade exchanges between the two countries. Benefiting from this, he looked forward to the growth of trade volume between China and Japan in more areas in the future.
In addition, in this commemorative activity, the Sino Japanese online piano ensemble performance and Sino Japanese co creation of cooking discussion and other activities attracted many people's attention. In this regard, Caochangbu said: "With food and music as the link, China and Japan have inextricably linked folk cultural exchanges. It is believed that in the future, the economic and trade exchanges between the two countries will also be further expanded. This is of great significance for maintaining peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region and promoting the continuous improvement of the living standards of people in the region."