Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka held regular diplomatic consultations in Beijing Monday.

Wang said China and Japan should strive to seek and expand their common interests in the new century, and handle historical issues properly with the spirit of "taking history as a mirror and looking up to the future."

Wang also urged the Japanese side to quicken its steps in dealing with the problem of chemical weapons Japan has left in China during World War II.

On the Taiwan issue, he expressed the hope that the Japanese side will stick to the "one China" policy and faithfully abide by its political commitments made so far.

Tanaka promised Japan will not participate in the making of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," nor will it support the "Taiwan independence."

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2003)