TOKYO - CHINA and Japan on Sunday vowed to jointly promote world economic recovery during a meeting of top ministers and senior officials in Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said.

'On the global economic and financial crisis, both countries agreed to implement what was agreed at the London summit swiftly and in a solid manner in order to realise the global economic recovery as soon as possible,' he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his Japanese counterpart Nakasone are to meet late Sunday to discuss how to deal with North Korea. The reclusive communist state, after its recent nuclear and missile tests, has threatened to fire a long-range missile in a move that could further worsen tensions in the region. ... more

At their London summit in April, the Group of 20 developed and emerging economies agreed to commit one trillion dollars to the International Monetary Fund and other global bodies to help struggling economies.

They also agreed to push for greater regulation of the global financial system to tackle the deepest global crisis in decades.

Mr Nakasone was speaking after a day of talks with a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Wang Qishan that aimed to boost trade and cooperation between Japan and China, the world's second and third biggest economies respectively.

Mr Wang said at their joint press conference: 'Both sides underline the need to assume a consistent and responsible attitude to step up regional and international economic and financial cooperation.'

Mr Nakasone also said both countries would 'cooperate in domestic economic measures, in actively supporting developing countries in Asia through international financial institutions, and in preventing protectionism.'

Both China and Japan called for an early conclusion to the Doha Round of trade liberalisation talks under the World Trade Organisation 'so that the global economy will return onto a track of sustainable growth,' Mr Nakasone said.

Mr Wang confirmed that 'we will work together with the rest of the world for a comprehensive and balanced outcome of the WTO Doha development round talks as early as possible while opposing trade and investment protectionism.' -- AFP