On May 30 and 31, 2005, China and Japan held the 2nd round of consultations on the East China Sea in Beijing. Cui Tiankai, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and Kenichiro Sasae, Director General of the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau hosted the consultations,during which both sides elaborated their positions and opinions, expressed their concerns, and made an in-depth exchange of views on launching the negotiations on the demarcation of the East China Sea and the promotion of common exploration. Both sides agreed that they should follow the consensus reached between the leaders of China and Japan during the meeting in Jakarta and properly handle and resolve the issues of the East China Sea through dialogues and consultations on an equal footing. The two sides decided to hold the third round of consultations in Tokyo soon.