Japanese and Chinese officials agreed Sunday to step up cooperation on energy-conservation and environmental measures during the first high-level governmental meeting since their leaders last month held official talks for the first time.

The one-day forum in Beijing, attended by a total of 500 government and company officials, comes as tensions between Asia's two biggest economies have eased a little, particularly in nonpolitical fields.

"Through our cooperation in the areas of environment and energy conservation, I believe we will be able to add positive elements to political relations of the two countries," Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, told the forum in Beijing.