2010-05-31 11:26

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (4th L) attends the welcoming ceremony hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo, capital of Japan, May 31, 2010.[Xinhua]

TOKYO - China and Japan on Monday agreed to reestablish a hotline between the premiers of the two countries.

The pledge was made during talks between visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo.

The two leaders also agreed to launch negotiations on implementing principled consensus on the East China Sea issue, speed up the establishment of a maritime communication mechanism between defense departments of the two sides, and negotiate and sign an agreement on maritime rescue at an early date.

Before their talks, Hatoyama hosted a welcome ceremony for Wen, who is on a second visit to Japan since 2007.

Both leaders also witnessed a signing ceremony of four memorandums of understanding including one on food safety.

Premier Wen arrived in Tokyo on Sunday for a three-day official visit. Japan is the second leg of his four-nation Asian tour, which has taken him to South Korea and also includes Mongolia and Myanmar.