China's Vice Premier Liu He says China, Japan should protect free trade

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He waits to shake hands with European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen ahead of the EU-China High-level Economic Dialogue at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, June 25, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Japan should protect free trade because protectionism is not conducive to global development, the official Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Friday as saying.

Liu was speaking during a meeting with Taro Aso, Japan's finance minister and deputy prime minister.

"Both sides should jointly uphold the rules of free trade and the multilateral trading system as unilateralism and trade protectionism will undermine world development and the people's interests," Xinhua quoted Liu as saying.

(Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee in Singapore and Elias Glenn in Beijing; Editing by Gareth Jones)