BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Monday morning in Beijing as the two sides agreed to create new momentum for strategic and mutually beneficial relations and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 26, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

Hu said Sino-Japan relations witnessed a positive momentum of development in the past year and have seen a good start since the new Japanese cabinet took office in September.

Firmly pursuing the route of peace, friendship and cooperation, and continuously reinforcing and advancing the mutually beneficial relationship of strategic significance are conducive to the mutual benefit and common development of both sides, as well as to the peace, stability, development and prosperity of Asia and the world, Hu said.

He said China is ready to work with Japan to hold high the banner of China-Japan friendship by earnestly planning and preparing for the activities marking the 40th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral relations next year.

Hu said China and Japan, in the spirit of using history as a mirror and facing the future, should improve political mutual trust and expand exchanges and cooperation according to the principles of the four political documents and important consensus reached between the two countries.

Noda said China's development is an opportunity for both Japan and the entire world.

He said the relationship between the two countries has witnessed fast development since Japan and China normalized bilateral links. Trade volume and personnel exchanges between the two countries have grown sharply.

Noda expressed the wish that both sides seize the opportunity of the 40th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties to promote high-level exchanges and beef up cooperation on economy, trade, environment, finance and tourism.

The two leaders also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was present at the meeting.

Noda arrived in Beijing on Sunday afternoon for a two-day official visit to China.

During his visit, Noda also met with top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo and held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao.