BEIJING, Jan. 25 -- China is ready to support businesses in China and Japan to enhance cooperation in multiple areas and welcomes enterprises from all countries including Japan to continue investing in China, Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday.

Li made the remarks when meeting with a Japanese business delegation visiting China, led by Chairman of the Japan Business Federation Masakazu Tokura, Chairman of the Japan-China Economic Association Kosei Shindo, and Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ken Kobayashi.

Noting that China-Japan relations are at a crucial stage of carrying on the past heritage and opening up the future, Li urged the business circles of the two countries to stay committed to the right direction of peace, friendship and cooperation and bring China-Japan relations back to the track of sound development.

"The economies of China and Japan are deeply integrated, and economic and trade cooperation plays an important role as the ballast and propeller of bilateral relations," said Li, adding China is ready to continue to share development opportunities, support enterprises of the two countries to strengthen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, digital economy, green development, medical care and elderly care, jointly ensure stable and smooth running of industrial and supply chains, and achieve complementarity of a higher level and win-win results.

Adhering to the basic state policy of opening up, China will continue to pare the negative list for foreign investment, fully implement the lifting of restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector, protect the national treatment of foreign enterprises, and work to build a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, said the premier.

He expressed the hope that Japan will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in Japan.

The heads of the above-mentioned three business groups from Japan expressed the hope that the two countries will steer back to the original aspiration for friendship, and strengthen exchanges in all sectors and at all levels.

Noting that China is an important driving force for world economic development, they said the Japanese business community is deeply encouraged by the healthy and steady growth of China's economy and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in multiple fields and promote personnel exchanges.