China said Monday that it expected Japan to meet it "halfway" to improve bilateral ties this year.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to reports that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently said he wanted 2018 to be the year in which people of Japan and China see a "great improvement" in bilateral relations.

Lu said that China has noted the positive remarks and hopes Japan would act upon the four political documents and four-point principled consensus between China and Japan, and seize the opportunity of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, to create favorable conditions for bilateral exchanges and cooperation.