Co-hosted by the Institute for China & World Studies of Tongji University and the Canon Institute for Global Studies (CIGS) and organized by the Institute for China & World Studies and the School of Political Science & International Relations (SPSIR) of Tongji University, the 1st China-Japan Economic Strategic Dialogue themed “China-Japan Economic Relations and the Future of Asia” was successfully held in Conference Room 410, Yifu Building, Siping Campus on May 20, 2019.

Participants in this meeting included Mr. Shi Jun, Vice Chairman of the Economic Committee of the 12th National Committee of the CPPCC, Professor Zhou Tianyong, former Deputy Director of the International Strategic Research Institute at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, Mr. Seguchi Kiyoyuki, Research Director of CIGS, and Ms. Wu Junhua, Research Director of the Japan Research Institute, Ms. Okazaki Kumiko, Research Director of CIGS, Tongji Distinguished Professor Men Honghua, Dean of SPSIR and President of Tongji Institute for China & World Studies, Professor Li Shu, Vice President of the Development Research Institute of Tongji University, and Dr. Li Boying, an assistant professor at SPSIR. They had dialogues on major strategic issues related to China-Japan economic development and cooperation, and reached a lot of consensuses of strategic significance and contemporary value. In particular, this strategic dialogue coincided with the adjustment of China-Japan relations. It not only added some warmth to the general trend of non-governmental exchanges between China and Japan, but also contributed wisdom to the high-level contact between both countries, clearly reflecting the responsibilities shared by the think tanks in the two countries. This meeting was moderated by Dean Men.

In the formal discussion, according to their respective research fields and standpoints, the experts and scholars gave presentations on topics including China’s economic situation and trends, Japan’s economic situation and trends, assessment of and outlook on China-Japan economic relations, third-party markets & China-Japan economic cooperation directions, the Belt and Road cooperation & prospects for China-Japan cooperation, and China-Japan economic relations & the future of the world. Meanwhile, there was also an open Q&A session to balance the full expression of ideas and the free exchange of views, which helped reach an inspiring and innovative consensus. Mr. Shi Jun, Vice Chairman of the Economic Committee of the 12th National Committee of the CPPCC, former Vice Governor and member of the Standing Committee of Gansu Provincial Party Committee, and an adjunct professor of Tongji University, shared his insightful views on China’s economic integration and development based on his years of economic work experience. He said that carrying forward the fine traditions, breaking through institutional barriers, studying and judging the general trend of the world, and learning from overseas experience are supposed to be the key path for China's economic integration and development and building a global community of shared future. Mr. Seguchi Kiyoyuki, Research Director of CIGS, shared his understanding of China’s economic development from the perspective of a Japanese researcher. He analyzed the causes of Japan’s economic bottlenecks and the reality and future of China-Japan economic cooperation, believing that the third-party economic cooperation jointly promoted by China and Japan can help improve China-Japan relations and even the overall relations in East Asia.

Prof. Zhou Tianyong, former Deputy Director of the International Strategic Research Institute at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC and a chair fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Science of Tongji University, used economic data as the main reference to discuss the historical achievements and structural problems in China’s economic development, and also conducted a comparative analysis of China and Japan’s overseas investments based on his own research experience. Ms. Wu Junhua, Research Director of the Japan Research Institute, discussed the social impact of Japan’s economic development and the profound influence of the US strategic adjustments on China, Japan and Europe, based on her own work and visit experience in China, Japan and the US. She believed that in face of the current international and bilateral situation, China and Japan should put away their worries and make joint efforts to promote development. Tongji Distinguished Professor Li Shu, Vice President of the Development Research Institute of Tongji University, based on years of grassroots research and in-depth observations on China’s development, pointed out that it is necessary to view China’s economic development from diverse perspectives, and to understand the principle of “seeking common ground while reserving differences” in China-Japan economic relations from the perspective of public policy and sociology. CIGS Research Director Ms. Okazaki Kumiko revisited the history and characteristics of Japan’s economic development in the past 30 years, and imagined the future of China-Japan economic cooperation by starting from financial issues. Assistant Professor Dr. Li Boying said that the insights of the guests could help her better understand China’s economic development together with the basic theories of economics.

Overall, the experts and scholars all agreed that there are differences in the characteristics and advantages of China-Japan economic development. China-Japan economic ties are built on the complementary internal needs, and also are subject to the external fluctuations in political relations, but they never stop finding the growth points and possibilities of cooperation. In face of the current international situation and new changes in bilateral relations, China and Japan should focus on the development of third-party markets, the Belt and Road cooperation, and the FTA construction. In fact, closer China-Japan economic ties can not only provide new opportunities for the expansion of bilateral relations, but also create basic conditions for the prosperity of East Asia and the whole Asia.

Dean Men highly recognized the significance of this strategic dialogue. He pointed out that the major changes in today’s world and the instability of global development have caused China and Japan to face different opportunities and challenges. In addition to bilateral relations, China-Japan relations also matter to the whole Asia and the world, so both countries should play a role of stabilizer in a changing world. Looking forward, China-Japan relations will move into a new era in which there will be economic ties, security guarantee and cultural exchanges. This strategic dialogue is held at the time when China-Japan relations are entering a period of coordination. We will make this dialogue an annual event to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between think tanks of the two countries, thus making positive contributions to the improvement of bilateral relations and the stable development of the world.

In closing, Dean Men and Mr. Seguchi, heads of the two sides, jointly expressed their wishes to continue to consolidate and expand this high-end platform of the China-Japan Economic Strategic Dialogue, and bring together academic, political and business elites from a broad range of sectors for periodic discussions and exchanges. At the same time, relying on think tank construction, this Dialogue will actively offer advice and suggestions to the governments of both sides, contributing to the innovative development of China-Japan economic ties in a creative way.