Japan’s Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada led a delegation to Beijing for a high-level bilateral economic dialogue with a Chinese side led by Vice Premier Wang Qishan. Both officials urged greater cooperation between the two increasingly inter-connected economies. The Japanese delegation also visited Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday.

    Mr. Wang said that the economies of China and Japan are interdependent and their close cooperation has helped two-way trade rebound above the levels before the world financial crisis. The discussions led to seven new signed agreements covering energy efficiency, environmental stewardship, food quality and other issues.

    Japanese firms have borne the brunt of recurring labor disputes at foreign-established factories in China this year. Officials said that Mr. Okada pressed for more “transparent” labor policies. A Japanese government spokesman later said China attributed the labor unrest to a “natural” push for better wages.

    Japanese officials expressed skepticism over the early resumption of six-party talks regarding the Korean peninsula. The U.S. and other countries have blamed the sinking of a warship on Pyongyang but the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has denied any involvement in the incident that left 46 sailors from the Republic of Korea dead. 

    Other topics included a recent decision by China to restrict by about 70 percent exports of rare earth minerals essential for making components for computers, mobile phones and low-carbon emission autos. 

    China accounts for 97 percent of global rare metals production. Chinese commerce minister Chen Deming said that China had no choice but to take such measures in order to protect the environment.

    <<<背景介绍

       这是继2007年12月北京、2009年6月东京以来的第三次中日经济高层对话。据本月初日本政府统计数据显示，经过30年的改革开放，中国经济迅猛增长，已超过日本成为世界第二大经济体，而且预计10年后中国的经济增长将超过美国。许多分析人士借此统计数字作为中国时代到来的有力证据，他们认为中国的发展促进了世界经济、政治和军事力量的平衡。