Japan is willing to share its experience in post-disaster reconstruction with China and would like to assist China's reconstruction efforts following the earthquake which jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said on Monday.

"Japan and China should learn from each other and help each other in difficulties," Fukuda said at a reception held by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a group of Chinese officials and experts who came to learn from Japan's post-earthquake reconstruction experience.

The prime minister also extended his good wishes to the Beijing Olympics, saying a successful Olympics will not only console affected people in the quake-hit region, but also demonstrate China's capability to overcome all kinds of difficulties.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai expressed the Chinese people's gratitude for the help and assistance offered by all circles of the Japanese society.

Qiu Baoxing, vice minister of China's construction ministry and head of the Chinese delegation, said the team will also learn from Japan in the fields of energy-saving and environment-protection in order to build environment-friendly cities and countries when they constitute their reconstruction plans back in China.

The team, made up of about 40 officials and experts from China's quake-hit areas and the construction ministry, was received by Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura earlier in the day. They are scheduled to visit Japan's post-quake reconstruction model areas in Niigata and Hyogo prefectures in the following days.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2008)