Xi meets Japanese Prime Minister

BEIJING, Oct 27 -- President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Beijing Friday, calling on both sides to cherish the good momentum in bilateral ties.

Xi welcomed Abe's official visit to China and spoke highly of his positive efforts in improving and developing China-Japan relations in recent years. "China and Japan, as close neighbors with great converging interests, are major world economies and influential countries," Xi said.

"The healthy, steady and long-term development of China-Japan ties is in the fundamental interests of the two countries' people, and represents common expectations of the international community."

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. "The treaty, signed by the elder generation of leaders of both countries, established a general direction of lasting peace, friendship between the two countries in the form of law, and provided solid support for both sides to conduct mutual beneficial cooperation, achieve common development, and properly deal with sensitive historical issues and the Taiwan issue," Xi said.

"With concerted efforts by both sides, China-Japan ties are back on track and gaining positive momentum. This is worth cherishing." He called on both countries to "adhere to the various principles affirmed in the four political documents, stick to the general direction of peace and friendship, continue their joint efforts in mutual beneficial cooperation and further develop bilateral ties."

"Under the new situations, China and Japan, increasingly interdependent in bilateral areas, also share more common interests and concerns on multilateral occasions," Xi said.

The Chinese president also called for tapping the potential of higher-level cooperation. (Xinhua)