With the acceleration in economic globalization and regional economic integration, the development of a free trade relationship between the two countries would be beneficial for the development of a stable, long-term economic and trade partnership, Liu said.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday, Abe expressed interest in pursuing a free trade agreement with China.

Abe said he hoped China and Japan could jointly mine natural gas in the East China Sea, China News Services reported today.

"Both of the countries are energy importers. So, the best solution is cooperation," the report quoted Abe as saying.

Relations between the two countries has been strained in recent years since Japan's former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi repeatedly visited a Tokyo war shrine that honors Japanese war dead ¨C including convicted war criminals ¨C among ongoing territorial disputes between.

Abe visited Beijing last month as an attempt to repair ties. Chinese President Hu Jintao said the visit was a positive step in their relationship.