Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Friday to cooperate closely in their efforts to have North Korea denuclearize as part of the six-party process.
Li, who arrived Thursday in Tokyo for a three-day visit, met with Abe for 45 minutes.
Abe stressed during the meeting the importance of resolving the issue of Japanese abducted to North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. In response, Li said Beijing "completely understands" Japan's position on the abduction issue and would offer as much assistance as it could to help Japan, the ministry said Abe also told Li he hopes the planned visit by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will be an opportunity to show to the world a new quest to build a "strategic reciprocal relationship," the Foreign Ministry said.