Visiting Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said Saturday that ties between China and Japan are crucial to peace and security in northeast Asia, according to Japanese government officials.
Zhu met with leaders of Japanese political parties, including Hiromu Nonaka, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in a series of meetings at the State Guesthouse in Tokyo.
In response to a comment by Nonaka that peace and security in northeast Asia are important, Zhu was quoted as saying, "Ties between China and Japan are the most important for that."