Vice President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China and Japan should make concerted efforts to cope with the global financial crisis.

"As major economies in Asia and the world, China and Japan should work closely together and properly deal with the international financial crisis so as to contribute to world economic and financial stability," Xi told a delegation of Japan's Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT).

Yohei Kono, who served as speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives from November 2003 to August this year, is leading a delegation of about 70 on a four-day visit in China.

Calling JAPIT Japan's major economic organization with regard to China, Xi said the Japanese business community had contributed to boosting the sound and steady growth of bilateral trade ties.

Japan ranked as the third biggest partner of China, after the European Union and the United States, with bilateral trade volume from October to November this year standing at 162.22 billion U.S. dollars.

Xi called for both countries to work to lay a solid foundation for China-Japan strategic mutually-beneficial relations.

Kono said the Japanese business community would like to work with China to address environmental and energy issues and make new contributions to bilateral relations.

The JAPIT delegation is visiting China at the invitation of the Chinese Council for Promoting International Trade.

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