DURING JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE'S visit to Beijing last week an agreement was reached on further cooperation between China and Japan in various industries and in third-party markets. China Watch, a think tank affiliated to China Daily, comments:

There is great cooperation potential for China and Japan in culture, the environment, city planning, eldercare and healthcare, among other things. Abe's visit to Beijing provided an opportunity to tap this potential and build a cooperative relationship.

There is a possibility that Japan might became a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, as well as take part in the Belt and Road Initiative. A number of Japanese equipment manufacturing and infrastructure construction enterprises already have their eye on the huge business opportunities in projects related to the initiative.

Japan has technological strengths and development experience in energy, agriculture, infrastructure construction and manufacturing industries, and also in financing and management. Which means Japan can be a good partner with China in many Belt and Road projects in third-party countries.

Meanwhile, the industrial parks China has built and operates in countries and regions along the Belt and Road are ideal investment destinations for Japanese enterprises. And China's strengths in mobile technology and the digital economy can be complemented by Japan's intelligent manufacturing industries.

Hopefully, Abe's visit can help deepen mutual trust, promote mutual understanding and give a green light to cooperation, which China welcomes.

Enterprises from some other developed economies, such as France, have already engaged in the third-party development projects with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which have been conducted according to international standards in a transparent way and on an equal footing.

The cooperation between the world's second-and third-largest economies will greatly promote free trade and economic globalization, and contain the rise of unilateralism and trade protectionism.

Trade promotional organizations from China and Japan should play bigger roles in promoting industry and project cooperation.