Visiting Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said on Thursday that the upcoming visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Japan scheduled in this spring would bring a new phase to the Sino-Japanese ties.

Looking into the future, the Sino-Japanese relationship is standing at a new historic threshold and is facing wide space for development, Tang said at a reception organized by the Chinese embassy.

President Hu's upcoming state visit bears great and far-reaching significance in pushing forward the continuous development of the Sino-Japanese ties and bringing a new phase to the bilateral relationship, Tang said.

The Chinese side would like to take the opportunity of President Hu's visit to draw with the Japanese side a blueprint for the development of the Sino-Japanese relationship in the future and to establish a new framework for the healthy and stable development of the bilateral ties in the long term.

Ikuo Hirayama, president of the Japan-China Friendship Association, said in his speech that people from all circles of Japan, who are gratified to see the improvement and development of the Japan-China relationship, are warmly looking forward to President Hu's Japan tour and believe the visit will help construct stronger bilateral ties.

Tang arrived in Tokyo late Wednesday for a four-day visit at the invitation of the Japanese government.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2008)