Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda reached new consensus on the East China Sea issue during their talks in Beijing yesterday.

The two sides would continue to adhere to the five-point consensus achieved by leaders of the two countries in April 2007 in a bid to turn the East China Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship.

The two sides have elevated the level of consultation, conducted earnest and substantive consultation on the concrete solution to the issue and made positive progress.

They have agreed to conduct vice ministerial-level consultation, if necessary, while maintaining the current consultation framework. They had also made joint efforts to reach an agreement on the solution to the issue at an early date on the basis of the overall situation of China-Japan relations and international law.

The solution to the East China Sea issue conformed with the interests of both China and Japan. The two sides agreed to strive for an early solution in the process of developing bilateral ties.

"The four-point new consensus is very important," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao on Friday evening. "It fully shows the sincere attitude of both Chinese and Japanese leaders as well as the two foreign ministries to push forward the settlement of the issue."

The consultation on this issue was not only a process to seeking solutions but also a process to increased mutual understanding and common ground, Liu told a press briefing on Fukuda's China tour.

"In this process, both sides have made earnest and pragmatic discussion and achieved positive progress ... I hope a solution accepted by both sides could be found at an early date."

China and Japan have held 11 rounds of talks on the East China Sea issue to date.