Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in New York, the United States, Sept. 21, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

    NEW YORK, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama agreed to advance their bilateral ties during a meeting Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

    "I wish and believe that during the tenure of Prime Minister Hatoyama, China-Japan relations will show a new state of more active growth and usher in a greater prospect," Hu said during the meeting.

    Hatoyama, who agreed with Hu's proposal to advance bilateral ties, said Japan would concentrate on promoting the relationship, which is based on common strategic interests.

    Monday's meeting was the first between the two leaders since Hatoyama was elected prime minister on Sept. 16.

    Hu congratulated Hatoyama on his election victory, speaking highly of the active role the Japanese leader has played in improving and expanding China-Japan relations.

    China and Japan, Hu said, are friendly neighbors separated only by a narrow strip of water. He pointed out that both nations are important countries in Asia and the world.

    Hu noted that China-Japan relations are among each country's most important bilateral ties. He said cooperation and bilateral exchanges between China and Japan have reached unprecedented levels in a variety of fields since the two countries normalized relations 37 years ago.

    Leaders of the two countries, Hu said, have maintained close exchanges of visits and contacts, especially since 2006, as they decided to build a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.

    "This was the first time that the two sides made positioning and planning of bilateral relations on a strategic level," Hu said.

    "During the state visit that I paid to Japan last year, the two sides planned the blueprint for future development of China-Japan relations and pointed out the direction of the growth of bilateral relations in the 21st century by issuing the fourth political document between the two countries," Hu said.