China is willing to maintain close communication with Japan and make good preparations for President Xi Jinping's state visit, a top Chinese diplomat said Friday, as Beijing and Tokyo agreed to step up cooperation over the novel coronavirus outbreak and Japan praised China's achievements in that fight.

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, made the remark while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

Xi's upcoming state visit to Japan is significant, Yang said, adding that China will firmly support Japan's successful hosting of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Abe said Xi's visit this year is very important and Japan will be well prepared to ensure it is a success and achieves fruitful results.

China and Japan have watched each other's back and faced difficulties together during the COVID-19 fight and this will further strengthen friendship between the two, Yang said.

Abe said Japan highly values China's positive outcomes in fighting the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic and is willing to strengthen exchanges with China in information sharing and epidemic prevention and control, so that the two countries can send a positive signal to the international community by facing the challenges of international public health and security together.