Japan's new ambassador to China said Monday he is determined to step up the pace of improving bilateral relations and do everything he can to achieve a meeting between the two countries' leaders this year.
"I will do my best to move the gears steadily forward," Yutaka Yokoi told reporters in Beijing. "I want to boost mutual trust by communicating well with the Chinese side and cooperating on many common interests and challenges."
Yokoi takes over the post as the two Asian powers are weighing up when and how to realize more frequent high-level political exchanges to rebuild relations.