China and Japan agreed to enhance economic cooperation in a joint press communique issued Wednesday during Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit in Tokyo.

The press communique said that China and Japan agreed to hold the second high-level economic dialog this autumn in Tokyo, as the first such meeting between ministers of the two countries helped boost mutual understanding and set a good example for resolving problems and promoting cooperation last December in Beijing.

The two sides also welcomed an action plan worked out jointly by China, Japan and South Korea on improving business environment in the three countries.

Meanwhile, China and Japan pledged to enhance exchange and cooperation in trade-and-investment-related law and hailed a memorandum between the two sides on the issue.

The two sides also agreed to create a better business environment for small- and medium-sized enterprises in both countries so that they could do business overseas and have more cooperation opportunities.

The communique said that China and Japan will work jointly to push forward the Doha Round of world trade talks in a bid to achieve development goals.

With the world facing many fresh issues and new challenges, a successful conclusion of the Doha talks at the end of this year is in line with the common interest of all parties involved and is conducive to strengthening the multilateral trade mechanism and maintaining economic stability and growth in the world, the communique said.

Hu arrived here Tuesday on a five-day "warm-spring" state visit, the first trip by a Chinese president to Japan in a decade.

(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2008)