Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Friday called for enhanced cooperation between local governments of China and Japan when meeting with Nagasaki Prefecture governor Kaneko Genjiro.

"The two countries should encourage more cooperation and exchanges between the local governments to inject impetus into improving friendship and strategic and reciprocal relations between the two countries."

He took local government exchange as an important component in Sino-Japanese ties, which he believed was "facing an important opportunity of development".

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. Xi said China would make joint efforts with Japan to promote political trust, cooperation, and personnel exchanges to step up the strategic and reciprocal relationship.

Genjiro said his prefecture would continuously expand cooperation with China to contribute to the friendly country-to-country relations.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2008)