China, Japan need sound economic ties: govt official

Sound economic and business relations will benefit both China and Japan, as well as the global economy, a senior official said Friday.

Ma Jiantang, chief of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said while addressing a question during a press conference.

Bilateral trade slumped 3.9 percent year on year to 329.45 billion U.S. dollars last year, with Japan losing its status as China's fourth-largest trade partner to become its fifth-largest, Ma said.

Ma called for healthy Sino-Japanese trade ties, adding that establishing such relations will require Japan to handle disputes properly. Bilateral relations worsened last year due to a territorial dispute over the Diaoyu Islands.