ISTANBUL

Chinese Premier Li on Wednesday called “for joint efforts” to deepen ties with Japan.

His comments came during a meeting with a visiting delegation of lawmakers representing Japan’s ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.

Li was also delivered a personal letter from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to Kyodo News.

Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Makoto Nishida, the leader of Komeito, are on a three-day trip to China to deepen bilateral relations.

They also urged Beijing to lift the ban on seafood imports and called on the Chinese side to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals living in the country.

The trip has restarted a dialogue between the ruling parties of China and Japan which began in 2006 but was suspended in 2018 due to an overall deterioration of bilateral ties and later partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also coincides with a rare visit to Japan by a delegation from the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which is holding meetings with Japanese counterparts and senior Japanese defense officials through Friday.

Tokyo and Beijing have taken steps in recent months to stabilize the ties, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit Japan next month.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya visited China last month.