Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping said in Beijing Wednesday that President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Japan would have a profound impact on bilateral strategic and reciprocal relations.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with visiting Yoshinobu Ishikawa, governor of Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture, in Beijing, April 23, 2008.

"President Hu's trip is a great event in Sino-Japanese relations in the new period," Xi told visiting Yoshinobu Ishikawa, governor of Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan.

Xi said this trip would promote mutual understanding and friendship as well as substantial cooperation between the two countries.

He expected the two countries to seize the chance to become good neighbors and partners featuring peaceful existence, long-term friendship, reciprocal cooperation and common prosperity.

Xi also hoped the two sides could strengthen the exchanges between their peoples and cities to enrich Sino-Japanese friendship and cement bilateral ties.

Yoshinobu Ishikawa said the development of friendly relations with China conformed to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, adding that Shizuoka Prefecture would step up exchanges with China in different levels and areas.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2008)