Toronto - President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to advance the strategic and mutually beneficial relationship between the two Asian neighbors.

The Toronto meeting is the first between Hu and Kan since the latter became Japan's fifth prime minister in four years earlier this month. They took the opportunity to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

China-Japan relations remain one of the most important bilateral relations to both China and Japan. China is now Japan's top two-way trade partner.

Hu also met leaders of Britain, Indonesia and Russia on Saturday on the sidelines of the summit.

Hu underscored Britain's role as an important partner in international affairs, as he met the new-elected British Prime Minister David Cameron Saturday.

Hu also noted that as China and Britain are two countries with different heritages and institutions, disputes inevitable on certain issues.

"Yet so long as both sides take care of the core concerns of each other and handle the disputes in a proper way, they can remain on the right course for bilateral relations and ensure that our overall strategic partnership develops along a healthy and stable track," Hu told his Britain counterpart.

Cameron's coalition government, which took power last month, has spoken of the importance of building stronger relationships with emerging economies, such as China.

In another bilateral meeting on Saturday with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Hu said China is ready to see a more united, stable and prosperous Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and will continue to support its efforts towards integration, as well as its leading role in East Asia cooperation.

China will join hands with the ASEAN in maintaining and building the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, enhancing China-ASEAN cooperation on issues of infrastructure and financial sectors and expanding humanitarian exchanges, Hu said.

China and Indonesia signed an action plan for strategic partnership at the beginning of the year, when the two also reached an important consensus on deepening defense cooperation.

China is also willing to increase investment in Indonesia and supports Chinese companies taking part in major projects to build Indonesia's infrastructure, he said.

Hu also met with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, on Saturday for talks aimed at further cementing their countries' strategic cooperative partnership.

During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the Korean Peninsula, Central Asia and the Iranian nuclear issue.

China Daily

(China Daily 06/28/2010 page3)