The Chinese government has adopted a friendly policy toward Japan and such stance remains unchanged, Vice President Zeng Qinghong said Friday during a meeting with a delegation from Japanese Diet.  

"We hope the two sides make concerted efforts for realizing the five-point proposals for the healthy and steady growth of Sino-Japanese relations as put forward by President Hu Jintao in Jakarta," he said.

Such proposals reflect "the basic policy for consolidating and developing Sino-Japanese relations" adopted by the Chinese leadership in the past generations and also demonstrate "the common will" of the new Chinese leadership.

Takeshi Noda, head of the delegation and chairman of the Japan-China Society, expressed the same willingness in his opening comments.

It has been thought that "the current political relationship between Japan and China is cold," he said. "I know Beijing's weather today is over 30 centigrade, and I hope our relationship can be as warm as the weather today," he said.

Zeng welcomed Noda to Beijing when bilateral ties were "in a difficult period." To develop Sino-Japanese relations in the new century, Zeng said, efforts should be made to inherit traditions, fortify conviction, safeguard overall situation and handle ties from strategic perspectives in the long run.

Efforts should be made to conform to the historic tide and people's common aspiration, namely peaceful coexistence, friendship for generations to come, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development, he said.

Efforts should be made to strictly observe principles set forth in the three political documents, fully implement the spirit of "taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future" and correctly handle the history and Taiwan issues, he said.

China hoped bilateral ties "can soon return to the normal track of healthy and steady growth," he said.

Noda said the current Japan-China relations are worrisome, making him deeply feel the responsibility as a politician.

The purpose of his visit is to explore "effective ways" with the Chinese side on improving bilateral ties and avoiding further antagonism of the two peoples.

He told Zeng that leaders of the two countries should properly handle the problems so as to enable bilateral relations to score more progress in the new century, he said.

Noda is visiting China at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2005)