Chinese VP meets with Japanese FM, SDP leader
- Source: Xinhua
- [20:37 December 16 2009]
- Comments
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met separately with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Mizuho Fukushima on Wednesday on the third and final day of his visit in the country, saying it was a success.
The visit, though brief, was rich in content, Xi said. Japan is the first stop of Xi's current four-nation Asian tour.
"The visit has helped promote our mutual understanding, boost bilateral exchanges, enhance cooperation and deepen the friendship," he said.
The visit is successful and has achieved the desired results, Xi said.
Xi said he had a first-hand understanding of the strong wishes on the part of people from various walks of life in Japan to push forward China-Japan relations.
There is the sound basis for further development of bilateral relations, which face new and important opportunities, Xi said, adding that China is ready to make further efforts to push for the steady development of bilateral ties.
An unprecedented good momentum now exists for bilateral relations, Okada said at the meeting, adding that both sides have made a good start in the bilateral relationship since the new administration of Japan took office.
Xi's visit will help push forward the development of bilateral ties, he said.
The Japan-China relationship is becoming increasingly important as the advent of the age of Asia is fast approaching, he said, adding that Japan is willing to deepen its ties with China, by expanding bilateral cooperation in various areas and making continued efforts to enrich the content of the Japan-China strategic and mutually beneficial relationship.
When meeting with Fukushima, Xi said the SDP has always attached great importance to China-Japan relations and had established party-to-party exchanges with the Communist Party of China back in 1983, making important contributions to the development of friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.
Xi hoped the party, a junior coalition partner of the ruling DPJ, would play a greater role in advancing bilateral ties.
Fukushima said the SDP has always been proud of its close and friendly ties with China. As a member of the ruling coalition, the SDP is ready to make greater efforts to strengthen friendly exchanges and contact between the two peoples, particularly those between young people of the two countries, she said.
Also on Wednesday, Xi also toured Fukuoka Prefecture in southern Japan.
After Japan, the Chinese vice president will also visit the Republic of Korea, Myanmar and Cambodia.
