Tokyo, Oct 24 (IANS): China and Japan held the 17th round of high-level consultations on maritime affairs in Tokyo, exchanging in-depth views on maritime affairs and agreeing to make the East China Sea a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship.

Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Hong Liang and Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry Hiroyuki Namazu co-chaired the 17th round of consultations of the High-level Consultation Mechanism on Maritime Affairs between China and Japan on Wednesday. Representatives of the departments related to maritime affairs from the two countries were present.

This round of consultations saw a plenary meeting and three working group meetings on maritime defence, maritime law enforcement and security, and the marine economy, Xinhua reported.

China elaborated on its position on issues related to the East China Sea, Diaoyu Dao, the South China Sea, and the Taiwan Straits, among others, and urged Japan to respect China's territory, sovereignty and security concerns, and to take practical actions to promote the improvement and development of China-Japan relations.

The two sides agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue to maintain close communication on maritime affairs, properly manage and control differences, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and make positive efforts to build the East China Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship.

The two sides agreed in principle to hold the 18th round of consultations of the High-level Consultation Mechanism on Maritime Affairs between China and Japan in China next year.