China and Japan pledged to strengthen cooperation in food security in a bid to safeguard the life and health of the two peoples, said a joint press communique issued on Wednesday.

On the dumpling poisoning case, the two countries will continue investigations to find the truth at an early date, said the communique issued during Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to Japan.

The communique said the two countries are satisfied with their current cooperation in animal and plant quarantine.

They also expressed willingness to enhance exchanges and cooperation in this area and strive to seek proper solution to some existing technical problems so as to boost the smooth development of their bilateral trade.

China has officially approved import of Japan's rice, while Japan has given the go-ahead to China's export of pumpkin to the country. Both countries expressed their welcome to these positive moves, said the document.

Hu arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday for a five-day "warm-spring" state visit, the first trip by a Chinese president to Japan in a decade.

(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2008)