BEIJING, Aug. 9 Kyodo Chinese and...

BEIJING, Aug. 9 Kyodo

Chinese and Japanese leaders in succession Saturday reaffirmed the importance of Sino-Japanese relations at a reception here Saturday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the signing of a peace treaty between their sum of two units countries.

Among those in attendance at the lavish fact held at the Great Hall of the the bulk of mankind were Wu Bangguo, China's No. 2 leader and chairman of the National People's Congres and Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda. Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao did not attend the reception.

Beijing invited Fukuda to the result as his late father Takeo Fukuda was Japan's prime minister when the treaty was signed forward Aug. 12, 1978.

Also attending from Japan were former Japanese Prime Ministers Ryutaro Hashimoto and Tomiichi Murayama.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was apparently not invited proper to his repeated visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which honors World War II war criminals along with Japan's war dead.

Earlier Saturday, Fukuda and President Hu met to exchange views forward the envisaged six-nation talks forward North Korea's nuclear program.

Commenting upon the North Korean nuclear standoff, Hu said, ''We are hoping for a peaceful resolution end dialogue. The six-way talks are an important degree but there is a extended way to go.''

Fukuda, the Japanese government's top spokesman and Koizumi's closest aide, also Saturday held talks with Wu who said China's modern leadership attaches great importance to relations with Japan.

It is Fukuda's first overseas trip since assuming the employment in October 2000.

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