Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan met in Beijing Monday with a Japanese delegation of the Forum on China's Politics and Economy, which is headed by Sugiyama Shigeru, former chairman of Japanese council of joint chiefs of staff.

Cao, also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and state councilor, said that the China-Japanese relations as a whole are developing well, and the development of neighborly friendship between the countries is of great significance under new circumstances.

"We should persist in the general direction of bilateral relations, follow the spirit stipulated in the three political documents, stick to taking history as a mirror and looking to the future, and handle properly issues on history and Taiwan so as to build up a new win-win China-Japan relationship featuring friendship, cooperation and mutual benefit," Cao said.

As for the Taiwan issue, Cao said the Chinese government and people will go all out to realize peaceful reunification and will never tolerate "Taiwan independence" aimed at separating Taiwan from China.

Shigeru hoped that the two countries can expand exchanges in defense, saying the retired Japanese generals are ready to contribute to bilateral friendship.

The Japanese delegation is visiting China at the invitation of the China Association for International Friendly Contacts.

Source: Xinhua