China held a reception on Friday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty signing, calling on both nations to make joint efforts to further boost bilateral relations.

President Hu Jintao and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso attended the reception.

Recalling the history of the Sino-Japanese relations, Hu said 30 years ago senior leaders, including late leader Deng Xiaoping and ex-Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda, made a strategic decision to sign the treaty.

He called it an important historic document in bilateral ties since the normalization of relations in 1972.

Hu said the treaty had for the first time nailed down the general direction of bilateral ties featuring peaceful co-existence and long-term friendship. He added it had played an important role in pushing forward the ties in a correct fashion.

Since then, peace, friendship and cooperation remained in the mainstream of the relation despite some twists and turns, he said.

The four political documents signed between the two countries had laid a political foundation for the long term stable development of bilateral ties, Hu said, adding both sides had made hard-won progress in cooperation in various areas.

After the normalization of the ties, the political and economic exchanges between the two nations had developed quickly.

On Oct. 23, 1978, China and Japan exchanged documents of ratification of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship during the visit of the then Chinese Vice Premier Deng to Japan. This had become one of the four important political documents (the other three are the joint statement in 1972, the joint declaration in 1998 and the joint statement in May) for the ties.

Hu thanks all those who had contributed to cementing the China-Japan friendship, adding insightful officials of two countries, including the seven Japan-China friendship institutions, had made great efforts to push forward bilateral friendship, despite the variety of domestic and international situations.

The Sino-Japanese relations were at a new starting point to create history and faced important opportunities for further development.

"We are willing to work with the Japanese side to increase political mutual trust, intensify cooperation and friendly exchanges to advance China-Japan strategic and reciprocal relations," Hu noted.

Aso highlighted the bilateral exchanges and cooperation of the past 30 years, attributing the development of the relation to people who were working hard to push forward the ties.

China and Japan are permanent neighbors, and the relations between the two should be in the nature of indispensable partnership. Aso called on the two countries to continue their dialogue and exchanges at various levels and cement consultation and cooperation in aim to achieve joint development and help to promote the stability and prosperity of Asia and the world.

Aso arrived in China on Thursday evening to attend the seventh Asia-Europe Meeting. It was his first visit since taking office last month.

(Xinhua News Agency October 25, 2008)