Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 8, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

Wu Bangguo (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 8, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe review the guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 8, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Japan have agreed that bilateral relations are one of the most important diplomatic priorities for both countries, according to a joint press communique issued Sunday.

    The communique was issued as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abebegan a visit to Beijing.

    Both sides agreed to make efforts to build a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests and to realize the goals of peaceful co-existence, friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development, the communique says.

    Sustaining the healthy and stable development of Sino-Japanese relations was in the fundamental interests of both countries. The two countries shared the responsibility to jointly contribute constructively to the peace, stability and development of Asia and the world, it says.

    Abe is on a two-day official visit to China. He met with President Hu Jintao and Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), and held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao.

    Both sides believed that since the normalization of bilateral relations 34 years ago, China and Japan had continuously expanded and deepened exchanges and cooperation as inter-dependence grew, says the communique.

    The two governments agreed to continue to abide by the principles of the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship and the Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration. They agreed to squarely face history and be oriented to the future, it says.

    They agreed to properly deal with problems affecting the development of relations and to promote bilateral relations through expanding both political and economic links.

    Both sides believed that contact and dialogue between their leaders were significant for the healthy development of relations.

    The Japanese side invited Chinese leaders to visit Japan, for which the Chinese side expressed gratitude and consent in principle. They agreed to further discuss the issue through diplomatic channels and to hold frequent talks on occasions of international meetings, the communique says.

    The Chinese side emphasized the peaceful development of China, which would work with other countries, including Japan, to pursue common development and prosperity.

    The communique says the Japanese side commented positively on China's pursuit of peaceful development and the huge opportunities it had brought to the international community, including Japan, since it began to reform and open to the outside world.

    The Japanese side stressed that Japan had been pursuing, and would continue to pursue, the route of a peaceful country since the end of the World War II more than 60 years ago. The Chinese side commented positively on this. Enditem

 Chinese president meets Japanese PM in Beijing

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 8, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Great Hall of the People Sunday afternoon, soon after Abe's talks with Premier Wen Jiabao.

    "Your ongoing visit is serving as a turning point in the China-Japan relations and I hope it would also serve as a new starting point for the improvement and development of bilateral ties," Hu told Abe, congratulating upon Abe's taking office as prime minister.

    Hu spoke highly of Abe's choosing China as the destination of his first official overseas trip, saying it indicated Abe has attached great importance to the improvement and development of the relations between the two neighbors.

    Shortly afterwards, top legislator Wu Bangguo will meet with Abe, who arrived here earlier Sunday and will fly to Seoul early Monday.

    Abe, who took office Sept. 26, is the first Japanese postwar prime minister who chose China as the destination of his first official overseas trip. It's also the first visit to China by a Japanese prime minister in five years.Enditem

Chinese, Japanese PMs hold talks in Beijing

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) presides over a welcoming ceremony in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 8, 2006.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

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    BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held their first talks in Beijing Sunday afternoon, following a welcoming ceremony in Abe's honor.

    Wen told Abe that it is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples to develop a friendly cooperative relationship between China and Japan.

    This is an irresistible general trend and common aspiration of the two peoples, Wen said.

    The talks will be followed by Abe's meetings with President Hu Jintao and top legislator Wu Bangguo later Sunday.

    Abe, who took office on September 26 and arrived here earlier Sunday, is the first Japanese postwar prime minister who chose China as the destination of his first official overseas trip. Enditem

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