Kiyoshi Ejima, Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, praised Shandong for the support it provided to Japanese enterprises looking to resume work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ejima made the remarks via video link at the Japan session of the "Connecting Shandong with Fortune Global 500" serial event on Nov 10.

Kiyoshi Ejima, Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Trade statistics show that, due to the epidemic, Japan's exports this September were 4.9 percent lower than the same period last year, while its exports to China grew by 14 percent, reflecting the close ties between the two economies," said Ejima.

He said that in recent years, the Chinese government has implemented national strategies, such as replacing old growth drivers with new ones and establishing pilot free trade zones, which have attracted a number of Japanese companies.

He added that Japanese companies have been promoting cooperation with China in third party markets, energy conservation, environmental protection, elderly care and other fields, as well as making efforts to solve the social problems facing the two countries.

"I believe that against this backdrop, the economic ties between Japan and Shandong province will continue to become closer," said Ejima.