Japan to help financing projects within China’s Belt and Road initiative

Almaty. December 6. Silkroadnews - Japan will help financing projects within China’s Belt and Road initiative, The Straits Times reports.
“The Japanese government plans to cooperate with China on its Belt and Road initiative by financially supporting private-sector partnerships, as Tokyo seeks to improve bilateral ties with its Asian neighbor,” the report said.
According to the guidelines developed by the government, cooperation will focus on the environmental sector, industrial modernization and logistics.
Reportedly, the assistance will include loans through government-funded financial institutions to promote cooperation between private Japanese and Chinese companies working on the projects in the third countries.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative is an extensive infrastructure plan that will link Asia with the Middle East and Europe, although critics say it is more about spreading Chinese influence. Japan has taken a cautious stance but has recently shown signs of warming to the initiative,” the publication reads.
Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, speaking on the meeting of Japanese and Chinese businessmen this week, noted that “Japan will be able to cooperate well with China.”
Abe met with Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last month and said that this meeting gave a “fresh start” to the relations between the two countries that are suffering from a lengthy territorial dispute over the islands in the East China Sea.
The Japanese prime minister said about intention to visit China, to be followed by Xi’s visit to Japan.