China's top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi has met the head of Japan's National Security Council Shotaro Yachi on Thursday in Beijing.

An earlier statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry says both sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.

Shotaro Yachi is in China from Thursday to Saturday for a high-level political dialogue.

Yang Bojiang, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has commented on the development of China-Japan relations upon the occasion of Shotaro Yachi's visit.

"Even if we cannot resolve all the specific issues in bilateral ties, it will still be a big progress if the two sides can agree to further negotiate on the related issues."