Japanese business delegation visits China to boost trade ties

A delegation of Japanese business leaders is currently visiting China, with hopes of further boosting trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

A welcome banquet was held in Beijing on Tuesday evening for the business delegation organized by the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade.

Leaders from both China and Japan's main trade promotion organizations delivered speeches, highlighting the long-standing bilateral trade ties, and the deepening friendship between the two peoples.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of China-Japan relations, values exchanges between the business communities and enterprises of both countries and cherishes the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples," said Ren Hongbin, Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

"All visitors to the China Pavilion at the Osaka Expo in Japan will strongly resonate with China's new image and develop a more favorable attitude toward the country," said Yohei Kono, President of Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade.

The event brought together around a hundred representatives from Japanese business associations and leading companies, covering sectors such as semiconductors, aviation, finance, and electronics.

Japan is China's third-largest trading partner, while China is Japan's largest. Representatives of participating Japanese companies at the event emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong and stable trade relationship between the two sides.

"The both of us are facing the great challenges from the United States. That's not something we really want. Of course, Japan has been taking the advantage of the free-trade system, like China has done before. So, we really want to [move forward] hands-in-hands with China," said Kenya Yoshiura, Managing Executive Officer of Mizuho Bank.

"Many Japanese companies took part in this business delegation to China, reflecting the strong expectations of Japan’s business community for closer China-Japan trade relations," added Juichi Hirasawa, Senior Executive Vice President of All Nippon Airways.

Japanese business delegation visits China to boost trade ties

Japanese business delegation visits China to boost trade ties

Japanese business delegation visits China to boost trade ties

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation