Japan's ruling lawmakers visited China starting January 13 for talks with members of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Liberal Democratic Party's Secretary General Moriyama Hiroshi and Komeito Secretary General Nishida Makoto led the 12-member delegation.

They met with Li Shulei, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party's Central Committee.

Li said that the current international and regional situations are fluid, and that China and Japan are at a critical period for improving and developing their relations.
 
Moriyama said he wants to cooperate with China in materializing cooperation and collaboration in visible ways so people can appreciate that the bilateral relationship has developed.

These are the first exchanges between the ruling party members of the two countries in seven years.