China hopes to work with Japan on ties

China said on Tuesday it hopes Japan will work together with it to develop bilateral ties along the right track, after Japan voiced its hope to improve relations.

Healthy, stable development of ties aligns with the interests of both peoples and will aid regional peace and development, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a daily news conference after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a speech to parliament on Monday.

Abe vowed to realize reciprocal visits between the leaders of the two countries as soon as possible, and said Japan "will seek to meet the expectations of the international community by developing friendly relations (with China) in a stable manner", Kyodo News reported.

This year is the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two countries.

Japan should use the anniversary's opportunity and base itself on the four political documents and four-point principled agreement between the two countries to increase mutual trust and handle differences properly, Hua said.

Abe also said Japan will cooperate with China in infrastructure development.

Hua said China hopes to work with parties including Japan to promote construction of the Belt and Road to achieve shared development.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono will visit China on Saturday and Sunday, meeting for talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday, according to Yomiuri Shimbun.

Hua didn't confirm the reports, but said China has a positive attitude toward the improvement of bilateral ties, and is willing to communicate with Japan in this regard.

Aid to DPRK

Hua also said at Tuesday's news conference that China attaches importance to the humanitarian aid that international organizations including the United Nations are carrying out in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and will continue providing support in this regard.

The DPRK Foreign Ministry said on its website on Sunday that the issue of delivering UN humanitarian assistance to the DPRK was discussed at a reception the ministry hosted for the diplomatic corps in the DPRK on Thursday.

It said a journalist witnessed China's ambassador say China doesn't impede humanitarian assistance to the DPRK. The website said officials with international organizations said China is delaying or obstructing delivery of equipment and supplies provided to the DPRK.

China has always implemented UN Security Council resolutions fully and earnestly, and has maintained that the sanctions should not affect humanitarian assistance to the DPRK, clearly requested by the resolutions, Hua said.

Problems with the assistance arose due to various causes, as the Security Council has imposed sanctions and some nations have also imposed unilateral sanctions, Hua added.

Zhou Jin contributed to this story.