Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan on Saturday sent messages of condolence separately to the family of former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who died Saturday afternoon.

Hashimoto died of multiple organ failure at a Tokyo hospital at the age of 68.

Devoting himself to the development of friendship between China and Japan, Hashimoto had made "positive" contributions to the improvement and development of bilateral ties while he was in office, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Saturday.

Hashimoto started his political career in 1963 as a young member of parliament. He served as prime minister from January 1996 to July 1998.

As one of the leaders of seven Japan-China friendship organizations, he paid a goodwill visit to China and met with Chinese President Hu Jintao in March this year.

Source: Xinhua