China and Japan should insist on their own convictions, eliminate internal and external interference, and work together to promote China-Japan relationship, said Chinese senior diplomat Yang Jiechi on Wednesday. 

Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when co-chairing the ninth China-Japan high-level political dialogue in Tianjin with Takeo Akiba, secretary general of Japan's National Security Secretariat. 

History of exchanges between China and Japan and the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations have taught both sides that peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation are the only right choice for the China-Japan relationship, Yang said. 

Yang also touched on the Taiwan question, saying that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. 

Taiwan question bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations and the basic trust and good faith between the two countries, he stressed. 

Japan should focus on the fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries and their peoples, shape up a right perception of China, pursue a positive, pragmatic and rational China policy, and uphold the right direction of peaceful development, he said. 

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. The two sides agreed that the dialogue was candid, in-depth and constructive, and some useful consensus was reached. They will continue to maintain dialogue and communication, according to a press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

(Cover: File photo of Chinese senior diplomat Yang Jiechi. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)