China on Tuesday called on Japan to make substantial efforts to create appropriate conditions for improvement of bilateral ties ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Yokohama.

At a routine news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei confirmed that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao exchanged greetings with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan prior to the start of the East Asian Summit last Saturday.

Hong said China attached great importance to developing ties with Japan.

Developing China-Japan strategic and mutually beneficial relations was in the fundamental interests of both nations and their people, Hong said.

China stands for resolving the problems between the two countries through dialogue and consultation on the basis of the principles of the four political documents, he said, adding China's position in this regard remained unchanged.

The four political documents, namely the China-Japan joint statement on comprehensively advancing strategic and reciprocal relations, the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and the Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration, serve as the bedrock for developing friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.

In reply to a question on the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands, Hong reaffirmed that the Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets have been an integral part of the Chinese territory since ancient times.

China-Japan relations have been strained since a collision between two Japanese Coast Guard patrol ships and a Chinese trawler on Sept. 7 in waters off the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

The Japanese Coast Guard seized the trawler and detained the fishermen and the captain on Sept. 8.

China, which claims sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, has maintained the seizure and detention were illegal.