On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Toronto from June 26-27, Chinese President Hu Jintao met with a number of foreign leaders, including the new prime ministers of Britain and Japan.

China and Britain

China and Britain should devise long-term plans for their relationship with a strategic perspective, Hu told British Prime Minister David Cameron.

China regards Britain as "an important partner for international cooperation," and the two countries have established a wide range of effective mechanisms for bilateral exchanges, Hu said at a meeting on June 26.

Despite their different social systems, cultural traditions and development models, they share common interests in promoting the full recovery of the world economy and in tackling prominent global challenges.

They should therefore strengthen dialogue, accommodate each other's concerns and settle disagreements. They should also make the most of the Group of 20 as a platform for strengthening bilateral ties, Hu said.

China and Japan

President Hu called for increased exchanges between the government departments, political parties, legislatures and defense authorities of China and Japan while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on June 27.

Moreover, the two countries should cooperate closely with each other in the fields of energy, environmental protection, circular economy and advanced technology to upgrade their trade relations.

While making joint efforts to promote regional cooperation in East Asia, they should strengthen coordination to cope with global problems such as the financial crisis and climate change, Hu said.

Regarding cultural bonds, the Chinese president suggested China and Japan continue to carry out exchanges between young people, media organizations, cities and nongovernmental groups.

At the same time, he urged efforts from both countries to address sensitive issues, such as East China Sea territorial disputes, in a prudent manner so these issues did not affect the stable growth of bilateral relations.