BEIJING: The relations between China and Japan have got a "good start" in Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's cabinet, said Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo on Friday, calling on both sides to cherish the hard-won situation.

Dai made the remarks in his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who accompanies Hatoyama here to attend the trilateral leaders' meeting of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Dai urged the two countries to make concerted efforts to promote greater progress of bilateral strategic mutual-beneficial ties.

Okada said Japan would work closely with China to expand win-win cooperation and enrich the bilateral strategic mutual-beneficial relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also met with Okada earlier on Friday, and they exchanged views on international and regional issues, including the situation of the Korean Peninsula and east Asian cooperation.