Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Saturday he told Chinese officials that Tokyo wants to see further efforts to make the yuan more flexible.

I told Chinese officials that I appreciate its announcement on currency system reform on June 19 -- in other words making the yuan more flexible -- and that I expect them to make steady efforts, Noda told reporters after Japan-China high level economic dialogue.

The yuan has appreciated about 0.4 percent against the dollar since it was lifted from a nearly two-year peg on June 19 when China promised to make its currency more flexible.

Ministers from Asia's two economic powers agreed to further develop their mutually beneficial strategic relationship at the annual dialogue. They agreed to meet again next year in Japan.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Ken Wills)

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