BANGKOK -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Thursday that China is ready to work with Japan to grasp the general direction of bilateral relations from a strategic height and build China-Japan relationship that meets the demands of the new era.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Noting that China and Japan are close neighbors and both are important countries in Asia and the world, Xi said that the two countries share many common interests and space for cooperation, adding that the importance of China-Japan relationship has not changed and will not change.

For his part, Kishida said Japan and China, as close neighbors, do not pose threats to each other, and the two countries need and should co-exist peacefully.

Japan cannot grow or prosper without China, and vice versa, Kishida said.

On the Taiwan question, Japan's commitments in the Japan-China joint statement have not changed at all, Kishida said.