Japan will propose concluding free-trade agreements with China and South Korea at an early date at a tripartite summit to be held in Beijing on Saturday, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was quoted as saying Tuesday.
He made the pledge in response to a request by Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), a federation official said. Nippon Keidanren is the nation's most powerful business lobby.
Hatoyama also agreed with Mitarai to call on China to strengthen protection of intellectual property rights in the country as copyright piracy is rampant, the official said.
The prime minister was holding talks with Mitarai for the first time since he took office in September to prepare for his weekend meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.
Fujio Cho, chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., and Sadayuki Sakakibara, president of Toray Industries Inc., were also present at the meeting in the prime minister's office.
Hatoyama called for the meeting involving Japanese, South Korean and Chinese business leaders on the sidelines of the tripartite summit.