Japan's Kyodo News says Chinese and Japanese prime ministers agreed that the North Korea situation following the death of its leader Kim Jong-il should be dealt with in a cool-headed manner.

The news agency says Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks for an hour in Beijing Sunday and agreed to closely communicate to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Noda was quoted as saying that peace and stability on the peninsula serves the joint interest of both China and Japan. He also proposed that the two sides exchange sincere opinions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and the issue of Japanese abductees in North Korea.

The Chinese premier pledged to seek future-oriented, mutually beneficial, strategic bilateral relations.