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On May 9, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Seventh Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting, the Japan-ROK Summit Meeting, the Japan-China Summit Meeting, and other events.
 
In the morning, Prime Minister Abe attended the Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting at the Akasaka Palace State Guest House together with H.E. Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, and H.E. Mr. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea (ROK). After that, the three leaders made a joint press announcement, and then attended the Japan-China-ROK Business Summit held in Tokyo.
 
At midday, Prime Minister Abe held a summit meeting with President Moon at the Prime Minister’s Office. After that, inviting President Moon, the Prime Minister also hosted a luncheon meeting at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence.
 
In the afternoon, at the Akasaka Palace State Guest House, the Prime Minister, together with Premier Li, attended a salute and guard of honor ceremony. The two leaders then held talks, followed by a signing ceremony and joint press announcement. In the evening, Prime Minister Abe hosted a banquet inviting Premier Li and other guests.
 
In his greetings at the banquet, the Prime Minister said,
 
“I would like to extend my heartfelt welcome once again to H.E. Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, and his delegation to Japan. Forty years ago, here in Tokyo, then Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda and then Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People’s Republic of China and built a bridge between the two countries. Today, between Japan and China, there exist a vast number of bridges connecting the two countries together.
 
People-to-people exchange is among one of them. Forty years ago, the annual traffic of the people between Japan and China was just 40,000. It has now increased to more than 40,000 over a mere two days. In addition, more than 100,000 students from China are studying in Japan, the largest number among the various countries. I would like to promote such exchanges between our peoples in a range of areas even further, taking advantage of the opportunities of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and 2022 Beijing Olympic Games.
 
Our economic relations is another bridge connecting the two countries. Over the past 40 years, the total amount of trade between Japan and China has grown significantly, increasing by 60 times. Japan’s investment in China has now reached 1 trillion yen, while the number of offices or production centers of Japanese companies in China exceeds 30,000. This has greatly contributed to creating jobs in China. Japan and China, as the second and third largest economies in the world, are inseparable partners.
 
Furthermore, local government exchange between the two countries is another bridge bringing the two countries together. Exchanges between sister cities of Japan and China began immediately after the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1973, starting with the development of the relationship between Kobe City and Tianjin City.  There is now 360 pairs of sister cities between Japan and China. Such exchanges between local cities have never ceased, no matter the circumstance of the Japan-China relations, and have continued to serve as a bond connecting the two countries. Both Premier Li and I will be attending the Japan-China Governors’ Forum that will convene in Sapporo on May 11, and I am looking forward to experiencing firsthand such a vital exchange between the local governments there.
 
There are too many bridges existing between the two countries to be counted here. The crowds trying to catch a glimpse of the baby panda, Xiang Xiang, born in June last year, have flooded Ueno Park. Xiang Xiang has created a new ‘panda boom,’ the first since the arrival of the two pandas, Kang Kang and Lan Lan to the park on the occasion of the normalization of diplomatic relations between our two countries in 1972. On the occasion of Premier Li’s visit to Japan, it has been decided that China would gift Japan with additional crested ibises. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude for this gift.
 
We have invited a number of top leaders to the banquet tonight, all of whom have supported the relationship between Japan and China in a variety of different areas, including politics, the economy, academia, and culture. It is thanks to all your efforts that Japan and China share such excellent relations today. I would like to take this opportunity to ask for your continued cooperation and contribution to the further development of these relations.
 
As I have mentioned at the press announcement earlier, a little over 30 years ago, Premier Li visited Japan as the Second Secretary of the Communist Youth League of China. At the time, my father hosted the dinner banquet as the Foreign Minister, and I attended as the Executive Secretary to the Foreign Minister. At the time, both Premier Li and I were 30 years old. We were young men, literally youthful, and I don’t think we have changed very much since then. Anyway, 30 years have now passed. We will further develop our bilateral relations moving forward as the leaders of Japan and China.  In closing, I would like to raise my glass and give a toast to the health of everyone present here today, as well as to the further development of our two countries.”