Japan and China agreed Sunday to bolster cooperation between the countries' investigative authorities to solve food poisoning cases involving Chinese-made dumplings as soon as possible, a Japanese government official said, according to Kyodo. In separate meetings with China's State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura also agreed on the need for the two nations to maintain top-level exchanges, according to the official. ''The dumpling issue is a very important problem from the point of view of the feelings of the two countries,'' Komura told reporters at a Beijing hotel after his meeting with Dai. ''We agreed to speed up cooperation and exchange of opinions between the countries' investigative authorities,'' he said. Ten people in Japan fell ill between December and January after eating pesticide-tainted frozen meat dumplings made in China. The two countries disagree on where the contamination occurred, with each side suggesting that it had taken place in the other country. In early July, China told Japan that food poisoning cases had also occurred in China involving the same type of dumplings -- a revelation some believe could mark a turning point in the dispute. Yang told Komura in their talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse that he wants to have the relevant authorities contact Japan in the near future, according to the official. The two sides agreed that maintaining exchanges between the leaders of the two countries is important to continue developing ties, the official said.
