Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang on Wednesday mid-night urged the Japanese side to take tangible actions to remove obstacles to bilateral relations.

Qin said in a statement that China has not changed its consistent and clear stance on improving and developing China-Japan relationship.

The Japanese side is clear about the Chinese stance, Qin stressed.

Qin's remarks came after former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Wednesday said there was a need for the leaders of the two countries to hold talks on the sidelines of the meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in November in Beijing.

According to a Kyodo report, Fukuda revealed he met with Chinese leaders during his visit to Beijing last month and that they shared a "sense of crisis" over the strained ties between their countries.

Qin urged the Japanese side to face up to reality, show sincerity, take tangible action to remove obstacles to China-Japan ties.

However, according to another Kyodo report, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a written message to a memorial service held in April to commemorate former Japanese military personnel, including convicted Class-A war criminals, organizers of the service said Wednesday.

Abe's message, sent as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, said that those in the military laid the foundation for Japan's peace and prosperity today by sacrificing themselves.

In another statement criticizing Abe's message, Qin urged the Japanese side to earnestly abide by the commitments of reflection on the history of aggression and take tangible actions to get the trust of neighboring countries and the international community.

It is an important foundation for post-war Japan to reestablish and push forward relations with neighbors that the Japanese government should earnestly face up to and deeply regret for the history of aggression and make a clean break with the militarism, said Qin.