Japanese Prime Minister Willing to Enhance Ties With China

Zeng Qinghong Meets Yoshiro Mori

Newly-elected Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori Thursday expressed his willingness to further enhance Japan-China friendly cooperative relations.

Japan is willing to further strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields and at various levels based on the consensus reached by former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Mori said in a meeting with Zeng Qinghong, head of the Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party.

During the meeting, Zeng conveyed congratulations from Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji for Mori's election as Japan's new prime minister.

Mori was named Japan's 55th prime minister by parliament Wednesday to succeed ailing Keizo Obuchi.

Noting that Jiang's visit to Japan in 1998 has brought Sino-Japanese relations to a new phase, Zeng expressed the hope that the two countries would further promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations oriented toward the 21st century on the basis of the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty, and the Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration.

Zeng, who is heading a Chinese Communist Party delegation, arrived Tuesday for a five-day visit at the invitation of Japanese government and Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.