BEIJING - State Councilor Dai Bingguo described the Seventh Beijing-Tokyo Forum, which concluded on Monday, as a big success.

State Councilor Dai Bingguo (second right) meets former UN under secretary-general Akashi Yasushi, the leader of the Japanese delegation to the 7th Beijing-Tokyo Forum, on Monday. Wang Chen (third right), minister of the State Council Information Office, and Zhu Ling (fourth right), editor-in-chief of China Daily, also attended the forum. [Xu Jingxing / China Daily]

Dai said the forum provides an open platform for elites from China and Japan to exchange views, which is meaningful if China and Japan are to understand the past, grasp the present opportunities and look to the future, and said he hoped the forum will continue to play a positive role in facilitating bilateral ties.

Former UN undersecretary-general Akashi Yasushi told Dai the current forum was the best yet, with a comprehensive range of topics candidly discussed.

More than 300 delegates from China and Japan attended this year's forum, and many of them made suggestions for the future development of Sino-Japanese relations.

"Bilateral ties have encountered a historical opportunity and I will be delighted to see the two peoples enjoy the benefits," said Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

He said an improvement in relations would enable Japan to achieve significant results in its post-disaster reconstruction, while China would make good progress in transforming its economic growth pattern.

"The forum should open a door for the young and let them build the future of Sino-Japanese relations," he added.

Wei Jianguo, secretary-general of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said that the two governments should make determined efforts to cooperate on important international and regional issues.

Keiji Yamada, governor of Kyoto prefecture, said the local governments of the two countries should join hands to deal with practical problems, such as environmental issues, an aging society and post-disaster reconstruction.

"We should deepen the cooperation between local governments to create a more solid foundation for the friendship between China and Japan," he said.

Founded in 2005, the Beijing-Tokyo Forum is an annual international symposium that provides a non-governmental exchange platform to improve Sino-Japanese ties through high-level dialogues.