Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Yasuo Fukuda over his election as prime minister of Japan.

In the message, Premier Wen said that as China and Japan are close neighbors separated only by a mere strip of water, the peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, their common development and their friendship for generations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, but also conducive to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region.

The Chinese government will, as always, stick to the policy of friendly relations with Japan, and is willing to work with the Japanese side to forge China-Japan strategically reciprocal relations and promote the sound, stable and long-term development of bilateral relations, said Wen.

Also on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi sent his congratulations to Masahiko Komura, Japan's new foreign minister.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2007)