China and Japan should cooperate with each other to strengthen the free-trade system, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday.

Abe made the remark in a written reply to Chinese media before his visit to Beijing on Thursday.

"It is of great significance to strengthen the current economic order based on rules of freedom and justice," Abe said, adding that adopting trade restrictions would not benefit any party.

"Japan and China, as two of the biggest beneficiaries, should strengthen and maintain cooperation in the multilateral free-trade systems, such as the WTO."

China’s development is a huge opportunity for Japan and the world, Abe said.

Japanese companies are running over 30,000 offices in China, Abe said, and Japan had made great gains from China’s sparkling economy.

"China’s economic development is a huge opportunity for Japan and the world," Abe said. "It is welcomed," he added.