YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. China and Japan on Friday signed a broad range of agreements on strengthening bilateral ties, pledging to step up cooperation in areas from finance and trade to innovation and securities listings, according to a Reuters.

The agreements were signed during Shinzo Abe’s visit to Beijing, the first by a Japanese prime minister in seven years, as Asia’s two biggest economies looked to further build relations and trust as both face trade challenges from the United States.

Abe travelled with nearly 1,000 delegates from Japanese companies, who struck 500 deals worth a total of US$2.6 billion, according to Straits Times.

Addressing a joint press conference, Abe said that the two leaders had agreed to “play a constructive role for the sake of this region’s peace and prosperity”.

“I believe active trade will deepen ties between Japanese and Chinese peoples further,” he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan