Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda reached broad consensus during their talks in Tokyo on Wednesday.

At a joint press conference after the talks, Hu said they exchanged views on issues of common concern in a frank and friendly atmosphere and reached broad consensus.

Both leaders believe China and Japan, as close neighbors and important players in Asia and the world, must seek a path of peace, friendship and cooperation, Hu said.

The Chinese president said that Sino-Japanese relations are at a historic new start point and face new opportunities for further development, urging both sides to work together to open up new prospects for their strategic and mutually beneficial relations.

Hu spoke highly of the fourth political document between the two countries, describing it as a new development in bilateral ties and progress and a crystallization of new consensus between the two sides.

China and Japan signed a joint statement on advancing strategic and mutually beneficial relations earlier in the day.

Based on the previous three political documents, the joint statement formulates the guiding principles for long-term development of bilateral ties and maps out the future for China-Japan relations, Hu told reporters.

The Chinese leader said he believes that under the guidance of the four political documents, China and Japan will surely be able to open up a brighter future for their relations.

On the issue of joint exploration of oil and natural gas resources in the East China Sea, Hu said the foreign ministries of the two countries have held in-depth consultations in accordance with the consensus between leaders of the two countries.