Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda reached broad consensus during their talks in Tokyo on Wednesday.

At a joint press conference after the talks, Hu said they exchanged views on issues of common concern in a frank and friendly atmosphere and reached broad consensus.

Both leaders believe China and Japan, as close neighbors and important players in Asia and the world, must seek a path of peace, friendship and cooperation, Hu said.

The Chinese president said that Sino-Japanese relations are at a historic new start point and face new opportunities for further development, urging both sides to work together to open up new prospects for their strategic and mutually beneficial relations.

Hu spoke highly of the fourth political document between the two countries, describing it as a new development in bilateral ties and progress and a crystallization of new consensus between the two sides.

China and Japan signed a joint statement on advancing strategic and mutually beneficial relations earlier in the day.

Based on the previous three political documents, the joint statement formulates the guiding principles for long-term development of bilateral ties and maps out the future for China-Japan relations, Hu told reporters.

The Chinese leader said he believes that under the guidance of the four political documents, China and Japan will surely be able to open up a brighter future for their relations.

On the issue of joint exploration of oil and natural gas resources in the East China Sea, Hu said the foreign ministries of the two countries have held in-depth consultations in accordance with the consensus between leaders of the two countries.

Major progress has been made with a solution in view, Hu said, adding he is happy with the development. Both sides have decided to step up consultations so as to reach an agreement as early as possible, he said.

As for the dumpling poisoning case, Hu said China and Japan will continue investigations in an effort to find the truth at an early date.

China attaches great importance to food safety and the people's health, said the Chinese president, adding the departments concerned of the Chinese government have conducted serious and thorough investigations into the case and made timely exchange of views with the relevant Japanese departments.

The dumpling poisoning incident, which resulted in 10 people falling ill in Japan, came to light in late January. Investigators from both countries have worked together to find the cause.

Investigators have inspected the manufacturer, Tianyang Food Plant in China's Hebei Province, but have found nothing irregular.

Hu, among others, said officials from China's central government made contacts recently with private representatives of the Dalai Lama, and the next round of contact will be held at an appropriate time.

"Our attitude toward contact and consultation with the Dalai Lama is serious. We hope that the Dalai Lama side will take concrete actions to show its sincerity by genuinely stopping activities aimed at splitting the motherland, instigating violence and disrupting the Beijing Olympics so as to create conditions for further consultation," Hu said.

"We hope the contact will yield positive results," Hu added.

Fukuda spoke highly of the consensus between leaders of the two countries, vowing to make common efforts to promote the development of strategic and mutually beneficial ties between the two countries.

Wishing the Beijing Olympic Games a complete success, Fukuda said the Games is of great significance not only to China, but to the whole world.

President Hu arrived here on Tuesday for a five-day "warm-spring" state visit, the first trip by a Chinese president to Japan in a decade.