On April 3rd, 2004, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai.

During the meeting, Premier Wen reiterated the set policy of the Chinese government of committing itself to developing friendly relations between China and Japan, and expounded the principled stance of China on its approach to China-Japan relations. He noted that the visits by Japanese leaders to the Yasukuni Shrine had hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, and hoped that Japan could handle the Taiwan issue with caution.

Wen also reaffirmed China's stance on its sovereignty over the Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets. He said the development of relations between China and Japan in recent years had not come by easily and should therefore be cherished. So long as the two sides proceed from the overall perspective of bilateral relations and address existing problems appropriately, relations between China and Japan will definitely progress forward despite the difficulties.