BEIJING (Kyodo) -- A delegation of Japanese opposition lawmakers met Thursday in Beijing with a senior official of China's ruling Communist Party as political and economic exchanges between the two countries grow despite ongoing tensions.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan group led by Executive Adviser Katsuya Okada held talks with Li Shulei, head of the Communist Party Central Committee's Publicity Department, at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital.

Li said China and Japan should promote strategic and mutually beneficial ties by ensuring "the right direction of peaceful coexistence" and cooperation, while Okada called for more high-level exchanges of politicians.

The opposition lawmakers are on a four-day visit to China through Sunday after the CDPJ and the Communist Party signed a memorandum of understanding last August to boost cooperation and communication.

Sino-Japanese relations have shown signs of improvement despite challenges such as China's total ban on Japanese seafood imports and the detention of Japanese nationals on espionage charges.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi is scheduled to visit Japan for a trilateral meeting this weekend with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.

In Tokyo, Wang will separately hold bilateral talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and the two will cochair a bilateral high-level economic dialogue, which will be held for the first time in about six years.

Iwaya visited Beijing for talks with Wang last December. His trip was followed by visits to China by delegations of Japanese ruling lawmakers and business representatives earlier this year.