Keidanren to hold green products fair next year in China+

BEIJING, May 13 Kyodo -
The Japan Business Federation said Thursday it plans to hold a fair featuring
environmentally friendly products next year in Beijing as part of efforts to
boost bilateral tie-ups in improving China's energy efficiency and
environmental technology.
Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the federation, better known as Nippon Keidanren,
said at a news conference that he won support for an envisaged ''Green Products
and Green Technology Exhibition 2011'' from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during
talks Wednesday in Beijing.
''Through the fair, we would like to introduce to the Chinese public the high
quality of environmental products and technology developed by Japanese
companies,'' said Mitarai, who is leading a five-day Keidanren mission to China
through Saturday.
He said Keidanren is considering holding the fair around June 5, the World
Environment Day, in 2011, bringing together major Japanese companies as well as
companies, universities and nongovernmental organizations from China and other
countries.
A Keidanren official said the major Japanese business body is considering
holding seminars and conducting business matching activity at the planned fair.
''We would like (the event) to spark cooperation and business between the two
countries,'' Mitarai said.
Mitarai, chairman of Canon Inc., said Keidanren wants to hold the event around
the same time every year.
Similarly, Keidanren plans to send a mission to China in spring every year to
strengthen business relations between the world's No. 2 and No. 3 economies,
according to Mitarai.
Referring to talks with Wen, Commerce Minister Chen Deming and other Chinese
leaders in the latest mission, Mitarai said, ''I felt China's high expectation
on Japan's technological cooperation in areas such as recycling, nuclear power
generation, efficient coal-fired power generation and power transmission
facilities.''
Mitarai also said Keidanren and Chinese leaders agreed that Tokyo and Beijing
should cooperate in building infrastructure in fast-growing Asia.
''Development of Asia is vital to Japan and China,'' he said, urging the two
countries to extend greater support to less-developed countries in Asia.
''For development of the whole of Asia, it is important that Japan and China
regard demand in other Asian economies as their 'domestic demand,''' he said.
The Keidanren delegation includes Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of Sumitomo
Chemical Co., who will succeed Mitarai as Keidanren chief on May 27, Terunobu
Maeda, chairman of Mizuho Financial Group Inc., and Junichi Ujiie, chairman of
Nomura Holdings Inc.
==Kyodo