Chinese state councilor meets Japanese officials on bilateral ties

TOKYO - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with Japanese officials on bilateral ties in Tokyo.

In recent years, with the deepening of exchanges and interactions between the two peoples, the Chinese people's understanding of Japan has become more inclusive and diverse, Wang said when attending the first meeting of the high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people exchanges with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.

"We hope that the Japanese people will have an objective and comprehensive understanding of China, and that the two sides will shorten the psychological distance and enhance friendly feelings through deepening mutual trust," Wang said.

In a meeting with Japan's Land and Transport Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba, Wang said it is hoped that the launch of the mechanism will encourage more people of the two countries to participate in the cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

"The Komeito Party you are in has long been committed to China-Japan friendship and it is hoped that the party will continue to adhere to this concept, keep China-Japan relations in the right direction, maintain the political foundation of bilateral relations, play an important role in improving the feelings between the two peoples and make new contributions," Wang said to Akaba.

Akaba said that cultural and people-to-people exchanges are of irreplaceable significance in enhancing the mutual understanding between the two peoples.

It is hoped that the two sides will vigorously expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in tourism, youth and other fields, and realize the goal of cultural and people-to-people exchanges set at the first meeting of the mechanism earlier on Monday, he said.

In a meeting with Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Wang said that at present China-Japan relations are back on the right track, adding that in order for the relations to stay on the right track and truly build a bilateral relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, the two sides must always adhere to the political foundation and constantly enhance the friendship between the peoples.

Nikai said that as Japan-China relations show a sound momentum of improvement and development, both sides should make up their minds to make joint efforts to push bilateral relations to a higher level.