BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- China and Japan will hold the third round of consultation on the East China Sea issue on Friday in Tokyo, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said here Tuesday.

    "China hopes the two countries peacefully resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation," Qin told a regular press conference.

    China and Japan held the first round of consultation on the East China Sea issue in Beijing last October. It was presided overby Cui Tiankai, director of Asian Department of Chinese Foreign Ministry and his counterpart Mitoji Yabunaka, director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

    The second round was held in May this year in Beijing. The two parties had an in-depth exchange of views on launching negotiations about the demarcation of the continental shelf of theEast China Sea and promoting the joint development of the marine resources in the area.

    The two sides agreed to peacefully resolve the issue in line with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries during their meeting in Jakarta. Enditem