Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with representatives of China-Japan friendship organizations and Chinese societies based in Japan, praising them for their efforts to boost ties between the two countries.

The organizations have made tremendous contributions to the rebuilding, improvement and development of bilateral relations, Xi said at a reception, adding that more than 600,000 Chinese nationals residing in Japan are the bridge and bonds of China-Japan communication.

He said the new government of Japan has attached great importance to relations with China, and China is also ready to work with Japan to push forward the China-Japan strategic and mutually beneficial relationship.

Xi also noted that the Shanghai Expo, which is to open next May, is another grand global gathering in Asia following the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

"We would like to invite more Japanese friends to visit the event, and are ready to work together with people from all walks of life in Japan to make full use of the Expo as an opportunity to advance bilateral cultural and human exchanges onto a new height," he said.

The reception was attended by about 1,000 people, including those from seven Sino-Japanese friendship organizations and four Chinese societies in Japan.

During his stay in Japan, Xi will also meet Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and visit Fukuoka Prefecture in southern Japan on Wednesday.

Japan is the first stop of Xi's four-nation Asian tour, which also includes the Republic of Korea (ROK), Myanmar and Cambodia.