Japanese business leaders have welcomed the resumption of summit meetings between China and Japan and expected a further thaw in the two nations' bilateral relations.

Kakutaro Kitashiro, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, said on Sunday that the summit was the first step in eliminating the obstacles blocking the development of bilateral ties.

Kitashiro hoped that summits between the leaders of the two countries would be held regularly so as to boost mutual understanding and mutual trust.

He also expected Japan-China economic relations would be further improved.

ITOCHU Corporation Chief Executive Officer Eizo Kobayashi said the Japanese business circle welcomed the resumption of the summit talks as the two economies were closely connected.

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Beijing on Sunday for his first foreign trip and his first summit talks with Chinese leaders after he took office on Sept. 26. He held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao respectively.

Abe was also the first Japanese leader to visit China in five years as top-level visits had been halted because of his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine.

Wen invited Abe to visit China on the premise that "China and Japan have reached a consensus on overcoming the political obstacle affecting bilateral relationship and promoting a friendly and cooperative relationship," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

Source: Xinhua