On September 21, 2009, Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in New York.

Hu congratulated Hatoyama on his election victory, speaking highly of the active role the Japanese leader has played in improving and expanding China-Japan relations. "I hope and believe that during the tenure of Prime Minister Hatoyama, China-Japan relations will show a new state of more active growth and enjoy greater prospect," Hu said during the meeting.

China and Japan, Hu said, are friendly neighbors separated only by a narrow strip of water. He pointed out that both nations are important countries in Asia and the world. Hu noted that China-Japan relations are among each country's most important bilateral ties. He said cooperation and bilateral exchanges between China and Japan have reached unprecedented levels in a variety of fields since the two countries normalized relations 37 years ago. Leaders of the two countries, Hu said, have maintained close exchanges of visits and contacts, especially since 2006, as they decided to build a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship. "This was the first time that the two sides made positioning and planning of bilateral relations on a strategic level," Hu said. "During the state visit that I paid to Japan last year, the two sides worked out the blueprint for future development of China-Japan relations and pointed out the direction of the growth of bilateral relations in the 21st century by issuing the fourth political document between the two countries," Hu said. The improvement and development of bilateral relations has not only brought major benefits to China and Japan, it also has contributed positively to peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world, Hu said.

China has always viewed and developed China-Japan relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. Hu said China will continue to pursue its policy of China-Japan friendship and work with Japan to realize the goal of peaceful coexistence, friendship for generations, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. Hu, noting that the world is currently undergoing complicated and profound changes, said China and Japan are sharing increasing common interests and challenges. "Bilateral relations are facing major opportunities for development at higher levels and in greater space," Hu said. He said China is ready to work with Japan to advance their mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests in a sustained and in-depth way by proceeding from the fundamental interests of both peoples and conforming to the trend of world development.

President Hu put forward five propositions on developing China-Japan relations. First, Hu said, the two countries should enhance high-level communication so as to improve political trust. Leaders of the two countries should maintain contact and continuously add political impetus to the development of bilateral ties. Second, Hu said, the two countries should promote trade and economic cooperation and strengthen the ties of interests. China and Japan are both major world economies and important trade partners to each other. Strengthening trade and economic cooperation will be conducive for both countries to overcome the international financial crisis and to encourage recovery for both economies and the economy of the world at the earliest possible date, he said. Hu said the second high-level economic dialogue between China and Japan held in Japan in June set goals of trade and economic cooperation for the future. Relevant government departments of the two countries, Hu said, should take practical measures to fully implement the results of the dialogue so as to advance bilateral trade and economic cooperation to a higher level. Third, Hu said, the two countries should improve the feelings of their people towards each other to consolidate the basis of public opinion. Hu said the two sides should focus on the good trend of China-Japan friendship by carrying out exchanges between their young people, cadres, cultures and media so as to push for the improvement of the feelings of their people towards each other. Fourth, Hu said, the two countries should enhance cooperation on Asian affairs and push for coordination in international affairs. As two important countries in the region, Hu said, China and Japan should jointly work for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and safeguard peace and stability in Northeast Asia. The two sides should also carry out dialogue, coordination and cooperation on global challenges such as the international financial crisis, climate change, environment and energy, he said. Fifth, Hu said, China and Japan should properly deal with their differences and maintain their friendship. As neighbors with close contact, China and Japan inevitably have some problems and differences in bilateral relations. The two countries should have an overall point of view and deal with these problems prudently and properly so as to prevent them from affecting the steady development of the bilateral relations.

Hu said that the issues of history and Taiwan are two political concerns in China-Japan relations. Properly handling the two issues makes the basic and key precondition for healthy and steady development of bilateral ties. China hopes Japan could live up to its commitment and handle the two major issues prudently and properly with the general bilateral relations in its mind, Hu said.

Hatoyama congratulated China for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He said China's development has made great contributions to world peace and the global economy. Echoing Hu's views on furthering bilateral ties, Hatoyama said the Japanese government and people hope to develop friendly relations with China. He said Japan commits itself to pushing forward bilateral strategic and mutually beneficial relations and enriching the ties. Japan will work to strengthen high-level communication, enhance mutual understanding and trust, deepen trade and cooperation with China in all fields, foster national feelings between the two peoples and boost bilateral cooperation in Asia.

Hatoyama said the Japanese government will stick to the August 15, 1995 statement by former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on the history issue. He also pledged that his government will continue to abide by the Japan-China joint declaration on the Taiwan issue.

The two leaders also exchanged views on climate change and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Wang Qishan, Ling Jihua, Wang Huning and Dai Bingguo attended the meeting.