Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks at a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 16, 2016.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Japan's Nikkei Business Daily: I have a question about the meeting of leaders from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Last year this trilateral leaders' meeting was resumed in Seoul, in the ROK, and this year Japan is the host of the trilateral leaders' meeting. We believe that there are many areas where the three countries can work with each other, for example, in addressing the DPRK nuclear issue and in pursuing the free-trade agreement involving the three countries. So my question is what are your expectations for the trilateral leaders' meeting this year? And in order to attend this meeting, you will for the first time go to Japan in your current capacity. Some experts also believe that Japanese companies can play a big role in helping China achieve economic transformation. So I want to ask for your prospective on the economic complementarity between China and Japan?

Li Keqiang: Last year I went to the ROK and attended the trilateral leaders' meeting. This meeting should have been an annual event, however, it was only resumed last year after a three-year hiatus, and this has not come easily. As to whether the format will enjoy smooth development in the future, it's very much up to the interactions among the three countries. In particular, there has been some signs of improvement of Sino-Japanese ties, but it is not fully established yet and it is still fragile. We believe that it is important to adhere to the consensus reached between the two sides on the issue of principle involving history, and it is important to match one's words with concrete actions. What I don't want to see is another disruption in the holding of such a meeting.

Talking about the relationship among China, Japan and the ROK, I cannot help but recalling a lighthearted topic. That is the recent match between the ROK champion and AlphaGo, the match between human and computer. It has become a very hot topic in all the three countries, I think that shows in a way that there is much commonality culturally among the three countries. I have no intention to comment on the results of the match here, but I believe, despite win or lose, after all this machine, AlphaGo, is designed and made by humans. I also believe that the three countries, or between China and Japan, can have wisdom in boosting smart manufacturing and science and technologies to develop high quality products that can better meet consumer needs. The economy of the three countries accounts for one-fifth of the global total and 70 percent of the Asian total. I believe there are many complementarities among us and if we can leverage these complementarities, we can do even better in global markets.