State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met a delegation of young parliamentary members of Japan's Komei Party in Beijing on Wednesday and said political figures in China and Japan should make more efforts to turn their countries' relations onto a track of healthy and stable development.

Ueda Osamu, director of the party's International Bureau and leader of the delegation, said the Komei Party always upholds the strong desire to promote the Japan-China friendship, and that it will continue its efforts to further push forward friendly ties between them.

Tang spoke highly of the Komei Party's long-term efforts to promote friendly cooperation, and briefed the guests on China's stance on current bilateral relations.

At present, political figures of both countries should more firmly abide by the principle of taking history as a mirror and facing toward the future, and properly handle historical issues with a right attitude, Tang said.

He expressed the hope that young political figures of the Komei Party will carry forward the tradition of friendship, actively make pragmatic exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and contribute more to the improvement and development of China-Japan relations.

The delegation was visiting at the invitation of the China-Japan Friendship Association.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2005)