Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Monday that at present, Sino-Japanese relations have generally maintained a good development momentum, and their cooperation in many areas has yielded some results, thus enriching the content of Sino-Japanese friendship and cooperation devoted to peace and development.

He made the remarks while meeting Monday with Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, who arrived in Beijing earlier Monday for a four-day official visit to China.

At the turn of the century, Tang said, it is imperative to mobilize all the positive elements, and overcome and restrain negative elements, so as to promote bilateral relations in a stable manner.

Tang said that Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji will pay an official visit to Japan in October, which will be a major event in bilateral relations at the turn of the century, adding that the two countries should closely cooperate on and make full preparations for the visit.

Agreeing with Tang's comments on Sino-Japanese relations, Kono said that friendly relations between the two countries are the main stream and general situation of bilateral relations, and Sino-Japanese Joint Statement constitutes the foundation of such relations, adding that the Japanese government stands firmly for that.

He said that Japan attaches great importance to Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's upcoming visit to Japan, and is making serious preparations, which he believes will promote the development of bilateral relations.

(People's Daily 08/29/2000)