Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shake hands before their meeting at the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo yesterday. The two countries have agreed to build a new strategic relationship, signing agreements on energy and the environment and issuing a joint statement.

Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe here Wednesday, during which the two leaders agreed on the content of the strategic, mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.

They also agreed to set up a high-level economic dialogue mechanism, and to upgrade cooperation in various areas through joint efforts.

With an agreement reached in October 2006 to overcome the political obstacles to bilateral ties, Prime Minister Abe paid a visit to China, breaking the political deadlock in bilateral ties, said Wen.

Cooperation in various areas has become increasingly active since then, a welcome sign for the two peoples as well as the international community, Wen added.

Continued improvement and development of China-Japan relations, and enhancement of their friendly cooperation conform to the shared aspirations of both peoples and to the historical trends, Wen said.

China and Japan are close neighbors and achieving long-term, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations will benefit both sides, and will also be conducive to peace and development in the region and the rest of the world, Wen said.

To build a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship, the two sides should handle the course of bilateral ties from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, Wen noted.

Welcoming Wen's official visit to Japan, Abe said Japan and China reached consensus on constructing a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries last October. Since then, political contact has become frequent and economic exchanges closer.

He expressed the hope that bilateral ties would make new strides through Wen's visit.

Premier Wen arrived here on Wednesday for a three-day official visit which he has described as an "ice thawer" in Sino-Japanese ties following the "ice-breaking" trip by Abe to China last October.