Vice President Zeng Qinghong on Wednesday called for joint efforts to promote the long-term healthy and stable development of China-Japan relations.

Zeng made the remarks in a meeting with Hiromu Nonaka, former secretary-general of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party.

Zeng hailed the current Sino-Japanese relations, noting that cooperation between the two countries has made progress in various fields as the two countries maintain high-level contact, and celebrate the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relationship this year.

He said the Chinese government attaches great importance to China-Japan relations.

He said China-Japan relations face unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Zeng expressed the hope that the two sides would act in accordance with the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries on building strategic and reciprocal relations and take positive measures to overcome difficulties on the way ahead, so as to push the development of long-term healthy and stable relations between the two countries.

Hiromu Nonaka said that bilateral strategic and reciprocal relationship would have broad prospect and a promising future, as it is based on the friendly cooperation and exchanges in the past 35 years since the two countries forged diplomatic ties.

He vowed to contribute to promoting Sino-Japanese strategic and reciprocal relations.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2007)