On November 25, 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce, China, jointly with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan and the Japan-China Economic Association, held the 12th China-Japan Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Comprehensive Forum in Beijing. He Lifeng, Chairman of National Development and Reform Commission（NDRC）, Mr. Qian Keming, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Hiroshige Seko, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan as well as Mr. Shoji Muneoka, Chairman of the Japan-China Economic Association attended the forum and delivered speeches respectively, the host of the forum was Mr. Zhang Yong, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission（NDRC）.
He Lifeng said that the China-Japan Comprehensive Forum on Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection played an important role on promoting economic and technological exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. He provided three suggestions on further strengthening Sino - Japanese cooperation in energy conservation and environmental protection, the first one is to consolidate the foundation of cooperation, expand the discussion topics and create a new platform for exchanges and cooperation, the second is give full play to complementary advantages, deepen practical cooperation strengthen economic exchanges, the third is to strengthen international cooperation, expand common interests and explore a new pattern of mutual benefit and win-win results.
Qian Keming said that environmental problems have become a global challenge. As the second and third largest economics, China and Japan have strong complementarity of green cooperation and broad prospects for future cooperation. China and Japan should enhance policy communication and coordination, as well as integrate green development thoughts into bilateral business cooperation for the alignment of the green development strategies. China is ready to work with Japan in strengthening innovative cooperation in new energy, smart city, ecological improvement and green buildings between China and Japan. In addition, to encourage both countries’ companies to leverage their complementary advantages and to integrate green cooperation into connectivity, industrial development and infrastructure in third-party markets so as to share the dividends of green economy with the world.
Tonny Xie, Director of Bluetech Clean Air Alliance, exchanged the cooperation agreement with Yoshihisa Kasuya, Deputy Director of Japan International Cooperation Agency China Office in this forum. “In the past five years, China has made great progress in the field of air pollution prevention and control, the concentration of PM2.5 decreased by almost 40% which gained great attention around the world. In the future, the continuous improvement of air quality still faces great challenges, we hope to strengthen cooperation with Japan to carry out better technological innovation, technology transfer and promotion between China and Japan, ultimately to help China and other countries defend the blue sky and shape a clean future.”
