Tokyo financial forum lays foundation for economic cooperation

In April 2019, the first China-Japan Capital Markets Forum was held in Shanghai, and in June 2019, ceremonies were held in both Tokyo and Shanghai to mark the launch of China-Japan ETF Connectivity. The initial batch of four Chinese and four Japanese products were listed and began trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Satoru Shibata, senior counselor for Japan and China financial cooperation at the Financial Services Agency of Japan, expressed hope that the two nations will deepen their financial sector cooperation, including expanding the ETF portfolio and exploring more financial products in the future.

Shibata noted that collaboration in the securities markets between China and Japan is well underway. This cooperation goes beyond government-level initiatives and includes stock exchanges and securities companies, creating a multi-layered, comprehensive system of collaboration.

As a platform for both nations' securities regulators and market players to foster practical capital market cooperation, the China-Japan Capital Markets Forum has already been held three times. Shibata hopes for more dialogue between Japan and China on this platform.

"I believe there will be increased people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, leading to better cooperation in the securities sector. Finance and the real economy are closely linked, and there is still significant room for further progress between Japan and China," Shibata said.

Yang Bojiang, director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized that China-Japan economic and financial cooperation holds more than just economic importance — it carries strategic value for maintaining peace and stability.

"Cooperation between China and Japan is not only essential but also filled with potential and feasibility. The complementarity in their economic and industrial structures still outweighs the competition, enabling mutual benefit and win-win outcomes," Yang explained.