Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

The talks between Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers were friendly, active and positive, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday, in response to media inquiries about the talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya on Wednesday. 

According to Mao, the meeting between Wang and Iwaya focused on the implementation of the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at their meeting in Lima, and the two foreign ministers had productive communication on advancing the strategic relationship of mutual benefit and building constructive and stable China-Japan relations that fit the new era. 

The two foreign ministers agreed that the significance of China-Japan ties goes beyond bilateral, and that the two sides should continue to carry out exchanges and cooperation at various levels and through all channels, enhance mutual understanding and trust, handle disagreements and differences properly, and promote the healthy and stable development of China-Japan relations along the right track, Mao said. 

Foreign minister Wang Yi and Takeshi Iwaya, Japanese minister for foreign affairs, jointly attended the second meeting of a high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Japan, Mao said when asked to briefed related information.

The meeting resulted in 10 important agreements on exchanges and cooperation over youth, education, tourism, sister cities, sports, entertainment, media, think tanks, women and other areas, Mao added.

We hope that the two sides will take this meeting in Beijing as an opportunity to expand two-way exchanges, foster innovative exchange methods, create a healthy and rational public opinion environment, establish correct and objective mutual perception, build more bridges for people-to-people friendly exchanges, and help China-Japan relations develop in a sound and steady manner, Mao said.