Chinese vice president meets Japan coalition delegation

Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao met with members of Japan's ruling coalition on Friday in Beijing, pledging stronger ties after the first meeting between the two countries' ruling parties in six years.

Led by the secretary generals of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties, the delegates had spent two days with members of the Communist Party of China for the fifth meeting under an exchange mechanism that was suspended as tensions peaked between the two sides.

Li called on the two countries to make full use of the mechanism to strengthen political trust and organize people-to-people exchanges, economic and trade cooperation.

The delegates said Japan's ruling parties attach great importance to ties with China and that they will work to improve communication and handle differences between the two countries.

China-Japan relations have been strained by historical and territorial disputes, particularly over the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands. China has accused Japan of attempting to whitewash its aggression during World War II. Endi