Chinese president Hu Jintao has met a group of Japanese friends upon his arrival in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The group includes descendants of some of the most celebrated Japanese diplomats and statesman such as Kinkazu Saionji and Okazaki Kaheita. They made tremendous contributions to the promotion of Sino-Japanese ties after the founding of the new China.

Hu Jintao said he and the Chinese people would like to thank those who have made unrelenting efforts to promote the friendly relations between the two countries.

"Your forefathers are among those most respected by the Chinese people. They were also the pioneers for the promotion of Sino-Japanese ties. They had held such a belief that China and Japan should be friends and made great efforts to restore and develop Sino-Japanese ties after the war."
Hu Jintao also said the Sino-Japanese ties are facing new development opportunities and he hopes his visit will help forge all-round relations with mutual benefits.

The Chinese president also attended a state dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

Hu Jintao is scheduled to meet with Emperor Akihito and will attend a morning-long summit on Wednesday before addressing business leaders.

Other matters on his itinerary include meeting the heads of Japan's main political parties to discuss ways to improve ties and personal exchanges.