Chinese official calls for Japanese investment, reaffirming vow to widen market access

After a knife attack which injured two Japanese people, an official has welcomed investment from Japan as Beijing continues to court foreign capital

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Former speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives Yohei Kono, front left, and Chinese vice-premier He Lifeng, front right, meet in Beijing. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 5:34pm, 2 Jul 2024Updated: 8:56am, 3 Jul 2024

Chinese vice-premier He Lifeng has invited more Japanese businesses to invest in the country – part of Beijing’s efforts to attract foreign capital – as those from both nations took a moment during a meeting to honour a Chinese woman who died protecting Japanese students.

“We welcome Japanese companies to expand investment and cooperation in China,” he was quoted by official media as saying to a visiting trade relations group from Japan on Monday.

Meeting Kono Yohei, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, He Lifeng said the association should continue to serve as “a practitioner of China-Japan friendship, promoter of win-win cooperation and protector of the stability of global supply chains”, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The remarks were made as Chinese authorities mourned Hu Youping, the woman who died while trying to stop a knife attack at a school bus stop in eastern China’s Suzhou last week.

Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei reported the vice-premier told Yohei – former speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives – that the attack, perpetrated by a Chinese man, was “incidental” and what Hu did to help the victims symbolised the two countries’ friendship. Local police have yet to disclose the attacker’s motives.

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The calls for Japanese investment came amid more rhetoric from Beijing about market access and a better business environment for foreign investors ahead of the highly-anticipated third plenum of the Communist Party’s Central Committee later this month.