China has called on Japan to work jointly to improve bilateral relations while removing "distractions and barriers."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry commented on the 45th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China on Saturday in a posting on its website. The pact was signed in Beijing on this date in 1978.

The remarks stressed the significance of the treaty, saying, "In the past 45 years, China-Japan relations have come a long way, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples and contributing to the prosperity and stability of the region and beyond."

Regarding current bilateral relations, the document notes that the two countries are "at a critical stage of improvement and growth."

It states that China looks forward to Japan's cooperation in using the anniversary as an opportunity to "jointly build a China-Japan relationship that can meet the requirements of the new era."

With Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands likely in mind, the document also expresses China's hope for Japan to work together to "uphold the political foundation" and "remove distractions and barriers."

Japan controls the islands in the East China Sea. China and Taiwan claim them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory, in terms of history and international law. It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them.