Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing Monday that China was ready to further tap into the potential of and expand the mutually beneficial cooperation with the business circles of Japan.  

Wen made the remark during a meeting with a delegation from the Japan-China Economic and Trade Association headed by its Top Advisor Hiroshi Okuda and President Sugiichiro Watari.

Wen spoke highly of the contributions that the Japanese business circles made to the development of trade and economic cooperation between China and Japan.

He said the expansion of long-term, stable, good-neighborly and friendly cooperative relations between China and Japan was in the basic interest of the people of the two countries and conducive to the peace, stability and development of the region and the world.

Hiroshi Okuda said the Japanese business circles placed high importance on cooperation with China and would continue to make efforts to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2003)