China-Japan ties are faced with new opportunities, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday.

"It is of fundamental interest to both China and Japan to build on the forward momentum of improved bilateral ties," Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in a meeting with visiting former Japanese Director-General of Defense Nukaga Fukushiro in Beijing.

Following his swearing last September, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid a landmark visit to China in October last year, seen as a turning point in relations between the two East Asian nations.

It is crucial to ensure a long-lasting healthy and steady development of China-Japan ties and achieve the goals of peaceful coexistence, lasting friendship, mutual cooperation and common development, Tang announced during an hour-long meeting with Nukaga in Zhongnanhai, the government compound in Beijing.

2007 marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao set to pay an official visit to Japan in April.

"The prerequisite of building strategic and mutually beneficial ties is to step up political mutual trust," Tang said.

Nukaga echoed Tang's optimism and positive approach, adding that Japan and China should ramp up cooperation on energy, environment and other fields, whilst properly addressing relevant issues.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2007)