Japan and China must set aside their political differences and forge closer economic ties for the sake of the whole of East Asia, the head of the Asian Development Bank said on April 10. ‘Cooperation and collaboration between the two biggest economies in East Asia are really crucial for East Asia-wide economic cooperation and integration,’ ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda told reporters on a visit to Japan.

Japan and China hope to agree on a framework for high-level economic dialogue during Chinese premier Wen Jiabaos four-day visit to Japan starting on April 11. But it was too early to say whether a possible free-trade agreement between the two Asian giants would be up for discussion.

Wen last week called for a free trade deal between China and South Korea after Seoul inked a landmark agreement with the United States that has ramped up pressure on other Asian nations to forge closer trade ties. Even for many East Asian economies, the US-South Korea deal could make a big impact on their trade.