On 11 July, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba in Phnom Penh. They exchanged views on China-Japan relations and prominent issues.

Yang Jiechi said that China and Japan are close neighbors. The important achievements in the development of bilateral relations over the past 40 years since the normalization of diplomatic relations meet the interests of the two countries and peoples and the expectations of the international community.

Yang said that China-Japan relations have achieved some progress since the beginning of this year. At the same time, however there are some acute problems. He hoped that Japan will properly handle relevant issues in all seriousness, and reduce obstacles in the way of the growth of China-Japan relations.

Yang reaffirmed China's principled position on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands. He stressed that Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets have always been China's territory since ancient times, over which China has indisputable sovereignty. He urged Japan to adhere to relevant agreements and understanding between the two sides in good faith, return to the right path of managing differences through dialogue and consultation with the Chinese side and take concrete actions to uphold the overall interests of the bilateral ties.