TOKYO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Foreign and defense officials from China and Japan kicked off a high-level security meeting here on Thursday, the first one between the two sides in more than four years.

　　Liu Jianchao, China's assistant foreign minister, told the meeting that international security situation has changed dramatically in the four years and the situation around China and Japan is also getting more sophisticated during the period.

　　It is important to keep dialogue between the two countries' foreign and defense ministries as the two sides are important neighbors and regional powers, adding the meeting is also of significance to maintain regional peace, he said.

　　The Chinese diplomat also called for a sincere and pragmatic attitude so as to improve the talks and their cooperation.

　　China-Japan relations witnessed a turning point last year with the signing of a four-point agreement, adding Beijing hopes to develop ties with Tokyo in the spirit of "taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future," Liu said.

　　Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama said Japan- China ties gradually improved since last year as the two sides agreed to establish air and maritime emergency contact mechanism and high-level negotiations over maritime issue.

　　The two sides should talk directly so as to resolve problems existing in their ties and carry out relevant cooperation through talks, he noted.

　　Senior officials from both sides' defense ministries also took part in the meeting.

　　The talks, launched in 1993, were last held in Beijing in January 2011 but were suspended due to Japan's unilateral move to "nationalize" China's Diaoyu Islands. China-Japan ties are frayed due to the territorial dispute as well as historical issues.