State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met with former Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka yesterday, urging the two countries to enhance exchanges in various fields following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China last month.

 

Tang hoped the two countries will strengthen high-level exchanges and further cooperation in areas including trade, culture, youth and defense to maintain the momentum of the improvement of bilateral relations.

 

"Not long ago, Prime Minister Abe made a successful visit to China, breaking the five-year-long political stalemate between the two countries and bringing the bilateral ties to the normal track of development," said Tang.

 

Tang expressed his hope Tanaka could make new contributions to the development of China-Japan ties.

 

Tanaka is the daughter of late Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. She was appointed Japan's first woman foreign minister in 2001, but was removed from her position in 2002 due to a feud with ministry bureaucrats.

 

It is in the common interests of both countries to develop friendly relations on the basis of proper attitude toward history, said Tanaka, adding that she will continue to contribute to cooperation and exchanges in various fields between the two countries.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2006)