China-Japan ties are faced with new opportunities, a senior Chinese
diplomat said on Monday.
"It is of fundamental interest to both China and Japan to build
on the forward momentum of improved bilateral ties," Chinese State
Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in a meeting with visiting
former Japanese Director-General of Defense Nukaga Fukushiro in
Beijing.
Following his swearing last September, Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe paid a landmark visit to China in October last year,
seen as a turning point in relations between the two East Asian
nations.
It is crucial to ensure a long-lasting healthy and steady
development of China-Japan ties and achieve the goals of peaceful
coexistence, lasting friendship, mutual cooperation and common
development, Tang announced during an hour-long meeting with Nukaga
in Zhongnanhai, the government compound in Beijing.
2007 marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of
China-Japan diplomatic relations with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
set to pay an official visit to Japan in April.
"The prerequisite of building strategic and mutually beneficial
ties is to step up political mutual trust," Tang said.
Nukaga echoed Tang’s optimism and positive approach, adding that
Japan and China should ramp up cooperation on energy, environment
and other fields, whilst properly addressing relevant issues.
(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2007)