Japan hopes to strengthen its relationship with China this year, the 40th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties, the Japanese government said Tuesday.

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing late last month. They confirmed that the two countries will work on strategic relations with each other to celebrate this year's anniversary. 
The Japanese government said it will keep close contact with Chinese leaders with the aim of maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula after the death of Kim Jong Il, Japan's (KBS WORLD) website reported. 
But Japan and China have some unresolved issues, including natural gas development in the East China Sea. China has not yet indicated when it will resume talks on the matter. 
 

Source: BNA