Chinese President Hu Jintao's forthcoming visit to Japan is set to have far-reaching impact on the Japan-China relationship during a long period in the future, Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono said Wednesday.

"I am looking forward passionately to the visit," Kono said during a joint interview with Japan-based Chinese correspondents.

After going through a long time of low ebb, during which communications between leaders of the two countries were suspended, the bilateral ties finally reentered a sound state following Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's visits to China and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Japan, Kono said.

Leaders from both sides showed their willingness for closer communications, he added.

On the economic front, Kono said Japan and China are interdependent partners on the basis of huge trade volume, and should address all issues with improved mutual understanding.

About exchange between youngsters, Kono said he was happy to see that many Japanese and Chinese young people are interested in each other's pop cultures and had enjoyed heated cultural communications. He expected the communications to be furthered and deepened.

"I fully support attaching importance to younsters' communications, which were stressed by leaders from the two countries in their each meeting," Kono said.

"It's a very important idea to designate this year as the year of bilateral exchange between youths," Kono said, adding that the communications should be continued and personal friendships built in the meantime should be preserved and developed in long terms.

About the East Sea gas field dispute, Kono said although the issue is hard to resolve, it is not inextricable when bilateral trust is strengthened.

"Despite all the problems between us, it is important for us to push forward the bilateral ties with an eye to the future of our two countries," Kono said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 1, 2008)