1st Ld-Writethru: Premier Li hopes China-Japan relations not to retrogress

Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday that he does not want to see China-Japan relations retrogress as bilateral ties have shown signs of improvement.

Speaking at a press conference after the annual legislative session, the premier noted that the bilateral relationship is "not fully established and still fragile."

The two sides should adhere to the consensus on historical issues and it is important to match words with actions, he said.

Commenting on the leaders' meeting of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the ROK last year, Premier Li said the event did not come easily as it should have been held annually, however, it was only resumed last year after a three-year hiatus.

Leaders of the three countries have agreed to meet in Japan this year.

Whether such a meeting mechanism can go on lies in the interaction among the three countries, he said.

Citing the historic Go match between professional ROK player Lee See-dol and the artificial intelligence program AlphaGo, the premier said the close attention to the match paid by people of the three countries indicated the cultural similarity among them.

He said he believed the three countries can have stronger cooperation in smart manufacturing, science and technology to develop high-quality products.

Accounting for one fifth of the global economy and 70 percent of Asia's, China, Japan and the ROK have many complementary aspects and can do better together in the global market, he said. Endi