Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his Japanese counterpart Yoriko Kawaguchi exchanged views on the situation in a phone conversation yesterday afternoon.

Kawaguchi said she was concerned about the issue of nuclear weapons in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and that Japan hoped the issue would be resolved peacefully.

Tang said China continues to support a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons, and is dedicated to maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and to resolving the issues through dialogue.

China hoped all countries concerned would continue to abide by the 1994 agreement on Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities reached in the Swiss city of Geneva between Washington and Pyongyang, he said.

The minister went on to say this year is the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese ties. China attaches great importance to the friendly cooperative relations with Japan. Both sides should move to deepen mutual trust, explore common interests and properly handle problems, he said.

Kawaguchi said Japan attached great importance to its relations with China as well and was willing to improve communication, deepen trust, properly handle problems that may occur and continue to improve friendly cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2002)