Trade role key to China-Japan ties, says survey

People in China and Japan have emphasized the need for stronger trade cooperation and grassroots exchanges between the two countries, as they see bilateral ties as critical to regional peace and development, according to the results of the 19th China-Japan Public Opinion Poll released on Tuesday.

The survey, conducted by the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration and Japanese think tank Genron NPO, found that about 60 percent of Chinese respondents and 65 percent of Japanese respondents consider bilateral relations "important or comparatively important".

Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has long been the cornerstone and driving force of Beijing-Tokyo ties, said the survey, adding that more than 54 percent of Chinese respondents and over 60 percent of their Japanese counterparts value each others' nation as a major global economic power and an important trade partner, reaffirming the crucial role of trade in China-Japan ties.

The survey also highlighted the significant role of trade in the future growth of both countries, with 60.1 percent of Chinese respondents and over 67 percent of Japanese respondents recognizing the importance of trade cooperation.

Furthermore, the survey emphasized the value of people-to-people exchanges in promoting China-Japan friendship, with 61.5 percent of Chinese respondents and 53.1 percent of those in Japan recognizing its significance.

Both Chinese and Japanese people expressed high expectations from collaborations in addressing regional and global issues.

The survey found that more than 65 percent of Chinese respondents and 62.4 percent of Japanese respondents consider peace as the most important goal to be achieved by the two nations, while 50.5 percent of Chinese respondents and 28 percent of their Japanese counterparts consider cooperative development a crucial shared objective.

In addition, the survey revealed shared concerns over the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Almost half of Chinese respondents and approximately 40 percent of their Japanese counterparts expressed worries about the issue. Only 25 percent of Japanese respondents had a positive attitude toward the credibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency's review results and the appropriateness of the discharge.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, and respondents from both countries have high expectations for the promotion of peaceful and friendly relations based on the spirit of the treaty.

More than 43 percent of Chinese respondents believe that signing new political documents or adding supplementary files would enhance the treaty's effectiveness.

The annual survey, which began in 2005, serves as an important platform for both countries to understand public opinion and foster mutual understanding.