China on Friday urged the Japanese government to take concrete
measures to ease the chilled bilateral ties.
"We hope the Japanese government will take concrete measures to
eradicate the problems and obstacles in China-Japan relations and
push bilateral ties back to the right track of healthy development
as soon as possible," State Councilor Tang
Jiaxuan told heads of seven Japan-China friendship
organizations in Beijing last night.
Tang also urged the Japanese government to have a correct
understanding of and approach to history and respect the feeling of
the people of the countries victimized by Japan during World War
II.
He said the friendship between China and Japan serves the
practical and long-term interests of the two countries and the two
peoples. "We hope the seven Japan-China friendship organizations
will continue to play constructive roles to this end."
When meeting the Japanese visitors earlier yesterday, President
Hu
Jintao said he is ready to meet Japan's leader as long as he
promises not to visit the Yasukuni Shrine that honors WWII war
criminals.
It is the first time China's leader has explicitly laid out
conditions for resuming long-stalled talks between the two
countries' top leaders.
Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro's repeated visits to
the shrine, a symbol of Japan's past militarism, led to the
suspension of high-level contact between the two countries.
Hu said the cause of the worsening relationship did not lie with
China or ordinary Japanese people.
The crux of the problem is that the Japanese leader insists on
visiting the shrine, which has hurt the feelings of Chinese people
and damaged the political foundation of Sino-Japanese
relations.
To properly solve the problems hindering bilateral ties, one
must "take a responsible attitude toward history, respect
historical facts and learn from history," Hu said.
He said the visit by the Japanese organizations reflected their
wish to improve bilateral relations.
During the one-and-a-half-hour meeting, Hu said that friendly
Sino-Japanese ties were in the fundamental interests of the two
peoples and contributed to peace and stability in Asia and the
world at large.
Hu said the Chinese government has a clear, consistent and
unswerving stance toward its relations with Japan.
"We will abide by the principles of the three Sino-Japanese
political documents ... and continue to adhere to the principle of
'taking history as a mirror and looking into the future'," said
Hu.
He said China would adhere to its good neighborly foreign policy
and would not pose a threat or challenge to any country.
"China's national defense policy is completely defensive in
nature and is aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial
integrity.
"China has not, and will never, seek hegemony," he said,
rejecting the "China threat" theory as totally groundless.
The seven Japanese organizations, which came as guests of the
China-Japan Friendship Association, include the Japanese Council
for the Promotion of International Trade, Association of Dietmen
League for Japan-China Friendship, Japan-China Friendship
Association, Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, Japan-China
Association on Economy and Trade, Japan-China Society, and
Japan-China Friendship Center.
The heads of the organizations include former Prime Minister
Ryutaro Hashimoto and former Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura.
(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2006)