Vice-President Hu Jintao on China-Japan Relations

Vice-President Hu Jintao on China-Japan Relations

Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Saturday that China and Japan should treasure their friendship and push forward mutually beneficial cooperative relations to new highs.

Hu was addressing a reception marking the 50th anniversary of the Japan-China Friendship Association at the Great Hall of the People. More than 2,000 Japanese guests, including people from the association and others working for the China-Japan friendship, attended the reception.

Hu stressed that maintaining peaceful co-existence and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Japan will serve the fundamental interests of people in both countries, and is also significant to the peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the whole world.

The two sides should take a long-term view on the development of bilateral relations, and carry on the traditional friendship between China and Japan, and push forward the cooperative relations to a higher level, he said.

He spoke highly of the role the Japan-China Friendship Association played over the past 50 years in developing closer China-Japan relations. He hopes the association can play an even bigger role in the new century.

Hirayama Ikuo, chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association, said at the reception that his association will make more efforts to increase mutual understanding, trust and friendship between the Japanese and Chinese people.

In another development, Chinese President Jiang Zemin wrote an inscription for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Japan- China Friendship Association, which reads "to develop China-Japan friendship and strive for a common development in both countries."

Former Japanese Prime Minister and Honorary Advisor of the association Tomiichi Murayama, together with senior officials from China's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the reception.