State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met in Beijing Wednesday with a Japanese delegation headed by Hiromu Nonaka, an honorary advisor to the Japan-China Friendship Association.

Tang spoke highly of the contribution Hiromu Nonaka has made to promoting Sino-Japanese friendship over the years.

He said President Hu Jintao has reiterated that, following the gathering in Beijing last month to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, China's policy of developing friendly cooperative ties between China and Japan remains unchanged.

Noting Sino-Japanese relations face both opportunities and challenges, Tang said the two countries should abide strictly by the three political documents, enhance exchanges and deepen mutual understanding.

The two sides should expand common interests and properly settle differences in line with the five proposals made by Hu in April, so as to push forward a healthy development of Sino-Japanese ties, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2005)