BEIJING - JAPANESE Prime Minister Naoto Kan's statement 'welcoming' China overtaking his nation as the world's second-largest economy points to a positive and strong change in future China-Japan relations, according to analysts.
Mr Kan made the comment at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which he visited on Saturday to address the VIP gathering. In his speech, Mr Kan said 'the world faces major changes that can be likened to a tectonic shift both in the national security and economic fields', and Asia is 'the centre of major tectonic changes'.
Against this background, he said, the Japan-US alliance 'is becoming even more important' and should continue to play a key role in the Asia-Pacific region.
'For Japan, its relationship with China, which is expanding its influence in Asia as it achieves remarkable economic growth, is extremely important,' Mr Kan added.
'Both Japan and China have an important responsibility to bear in the international community, and will need to enhance cooperation in a wide array of fields such as the economy, regional stability and the global environment,' he said.
After the speech, when asked if he was worried about Japan being overtaken by China as the world's second-largest economy last summer, Mr Kan said it was 'something that is welcoming'. 'China's growth will have a positive impact on Japan, both economically and socially,' said Mr Kan.
Source: http://www.straitstimes.com
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