Chinese President Hu Jintao met Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Washington on Monday to exchange views on China-Japan relations and other issues of common interest.

Hu said he is happy to have the opportunity to meet Hatoyama in Washington, who is an old friend of China.?

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Washington April 12, 2010. President Hu Jintao arrived in Washington on Monday to attend the Nuclear Security Summit slated for April 12-13. [Liu Weibing/Xinhua]

Hu appreciated Hatoyama's efforts to boost the friendly relations between China and Japan and his contributions in this regard since he took office.

The Chinese leader said he is willing to exchange views with Hatoyama on the development of bilateral ties and issues of common concern.

To boost the development of China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit, Hu laid out a four-point proposal: keeping high-level exchanges, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, expanding people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and enhancing cooperation in the process of Asia's integration.

For his part, Hatoyama said he also feels very happy to meet President Hu again after their last meeting in Singapore last year.

Hatoyama expressed the hope to build a strategic relationship of mutual benefit between Japan and China and enrich it.

Japan is willing to develop friendly cooperation with China and other nations in the region in various fields to advance the establishment of an East Asian community, he said.

Hatoyama said Japan is willing to work with China and translate the East China Sea into an area of friendship and cooperation.

He said the Japanese side appreciated what China has done over the dumpling poisoning issue and would like to promote food safety.

He added that Japan would also like to strengthen cooperation with China in environmental protection technologies and in climate change. Japan hopes to share experience with China in promoting low-carbon economy, he said.

Hu and Hatoyama met on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit slated for Monday and Tuesday.

The Nuclear Security Summit is mainly aimed at preventing acts of nuclear terrorism.

The White House said leaders or their representatives from 47 countries as well as the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Union would participate in the summit.