BEIJING, April 24-- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Thursday expressed China's support for people-to-people and local government level exchanges with Japan, in light of Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe's China visit.

"China hopes people with vision in Japan can make efforts to improve bilateral ties," said Qin Gang.

Qin added that Japanese leaders should earnestly listen to Japanese voices advocating bilateral friendship and create conditions to mend the currently strained ties with China by taking concrete steps to correct mistakes.

Masuzoe will visit Beijing from Thursday to Saturday at the invitation of Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun.