TOKYO -- Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou on Monday expressed the hope that Japan could show clear and positive signals on its China policy so as to further enhance the recovering ties between the two countries.

Kong made the remarks here during a meeting with Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama in a bilateral regular discussion between the two sides' foreign ministries.

Kong said that the China-Japan relations are recovering but still sophisticated and sensitive, adding both sides should properly handle sensitive issues based on the spirits of the four political documents and the four-point principled agreement between the two countries.

For his part, Sugiyama said that China's peaceful development is important to the international community, adding that Japan is willing to improve dialogue with China and enlarge common interests so as to continue pushing forward the development of bilateral ties based on the Japan-China strategic relationship of mutual benefit.