China on Friday urged the Japanese government to make corresponding efforts to ease the chilled ties after Chinese President Hu's meeting with Japanese visitors representing seven Japan-China friendship organizations.

"We hope the Japanese government will make corresponding efforts, especially to have a correct understanding and approach to history and respect the feeling of the people of the countries victimized by Japan during World War II," Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan told the Japanese visitors on Friday night.

Tang also urged the Japanese government to take concrete measures to eradicate the problems and obstacles in China-Japan relations and push the bilateral ties back to the right track of healthy development as soon as possible.

Prior to the meeting, Chinese President Hu Jintao had met with the Japanese visitors. Hu told them that he is ready to have meetings or dialogues with Japanese leaders as long as the latter make a clear-cut decision of paying no more visits to the Yasukuni Shrine where Japan's World War II war criminals are enshrined.

Tang, China's former foreign minister, said Hu had reiterated in the meeting China's principles and claims in developing China-Japan good-neighborly friendly cooperative ties, which "fully demonstrated that Chinese leader is highly concerned with the China-Japan relations."

Tang said the friendship between China and Japan serves the practical and long-term interests of the two countries and the two peoples. "We hope the seven Japan-China friendship organizations will continue to play constructive roles for this."

The seven Japanese organizations, which came as guests of the China-Japan Friendship Association, include the Japanese Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Association of Dietmen League for Japan-China Friendship, Japan-China Friendship Association, Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, Japan-China Association on Economy and Trade, Japan-China Society, and Japan-China Friendship Center.

The heads of the organizations include former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and former Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura.

Source: Xinhua