Vice President Zeng Qinghong said in Beijing Tuesday that China-Japan relations are developing well and the cooperation in many fields have made progress.

 

"The improvement and development of China-Japan relations are hard-won," said Zeng while meeting with speaker of House of Representatives of Japan Yohei Kono.

 

Kono, who assumed the post of chairman of the Japan association for the promotion of international trade last September, said he will make continued efforts to facilitate trade ties between Japan and China.

 

Kono promised to visit China with his association deletion every year.

 

The Sino-Japanese relations were at the lowest point over the past five years because of former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visit to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A war criminals during the World War II.

 

Koizumi's successor Shinzo Abe paid "ice-breaking" visit to China in October. The leaders of the two countries agreed to construct the strategic relationship.

 

Later, President Hu Jintao and Abe met again on the sideline of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi of Vietnam in November.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2006)