On May 6, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Tokyo, kicking off a five-day "warm spring" trip to Japan aimed at boosting the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between the two nations.

At 1: 45 pm, local time, Hu's special plane arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport, where Hu Jintao and his wife Liu Yongqing were greeted by Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and other officials.

In a written statement issued at the airport, Hu said both China and Japan are important countries in Asia and in the world, and the development of a long-term stable and good-neighborly friendship between China and Japan is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples. In the statement, Hu said this year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and the China-Japan relations are facing new opportunities for further development.

The president expressed the hope that his visit will help enhance mutual trust, strengthen friendship, deepen cooperation and make programs for the future, and added that China will work together with Japan to open up new prospects for comprehensively pushing forward the China-Japan strategic and mutually beneficial relations. Hu said he will meet with Japan's Emperor Akihito, have an in-depth exchange of views with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern, and have extensive contact with Japanese people from different walks of life. He expressed the belief that through joint efforts of both sides, his visit would achieve expected results.

Currently, the Sino-Japanese relations are improving further. In an interview with Japanese journalists on May 4, the Chinese president said his state visit to Japan will have the atmosphere of a "warm spring" and he wished for a "warm spring for the friendship between the two peoples."

Member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee (CPCCC) & Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee Ling Jihua, Member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee (CPCCC) & Director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee Wang Huning, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and other accompanying officials arrived by the same plane.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai and the staff of the embassy also welcomed Hu and his encourage at the airport.