Photo taken on Jun. 21, 2018 shows scenery of the Lujiazui area in Pudong of Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

TOKYO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved remarkable economic development through reform and opening-up, with tremendous development scale and speed in the past 20 years, Satoshi Amako, a celebrated Japanese expert on China, recently told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Amako, also an honorary professor at Waseda University, speaks highly of the reform's contribution as China marks the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up this year.

After a phase of experimentation in the first 20 years, China entered steady economic development with impressive scale and speed, which is the most notable characteristic of reform and opening-up in the past two decades, Amako told Xinhua.

According to the Japanese expert, apart from liberation of productive forces, two major factors contributed to China's rapid economic development.

On one hand, China's accession to the World Trade Organization helped the country actively integrate into the free trade system.

On the other, cheap labor, such as migrant workers, has attracted foreign investment, boosting the Chinese economy, especially in coastal areas, Amako explained.

China's economic development has not only benefited itself, but also contributed to the world, he said.

As products made in China are welcomed by people all over the world, trade has promoted a free flow and globalization of goods, materials and human resources around the world, Amako said.

The Japanese expert also talked about the high level of popularization of the Internet and its great influence on the Chinese society.

"After 2010, it is obvious that the Internet is highly popular in China with electronic payment, taxi applications and so on. Things are changing each passing day," he said.

Aerial photo taken by a drone on Apr. 21, 2018 shows Taoyuanxincun Community in Yaozhuang Town, Jiashan County, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

Amako pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative offers a great opportunity for cooperation between China and Japan in terms of aid to developing countries.

Japan has accumulated experience in this area, he said, thus, under the initiative, China can draw on Japan's experience to maximize the benefit of Chinese fund to recipient countries.

Cooperation between China and Japan in this field is beneficial to the development of bilateral relations, and also helps them make further contribution to the international community, Amako said.