Chinese vice-premier Wen Jiabao said he hopes the Japanese government will properly handle the Japanese history textbook and the Taiwan issues so as to ensure the healthy development of Sino-Japanese relations.
Wen made the remarks in a meeting here Monday with a delegation from the Association for the Promotion of International Trade of Japan, led by its President Sakurauchi Yoshio.
Describing the Japanese association as a bridge for Sino- Japanese friendship, Wen said that the association has done a lot in promoting the friendship and the bilateral trade between the two countries since its establishment over 40 years ago.
He said that the overall Sino-Japanese relationship is good. It is worth-noting that the exchange of high-level visits between the two sides in recent years has furthered their bilateral ties, he added.
Wen stressed that observing the principles of the Sino-Japanese joint statement and the joint declaration and respecting the history are the foundation of the healthy development of bilateral relations.
The two-way trade has grown rapidly in recent years and the further expansion of trade conforms to the fundamental interests of both peoples, Wen said.
Sakurauchi said that respecting the history and facing the future are of vital significance to the development of Japan-China relations, stressing that no one can alter the overall trend of developing friendship between the two countries.
He said the Japanese business people will be happy to continue to take an active part in China's economic development, as China is implementing the tenth five-year plan and the grand western development strategy.
The Japanese guests are here at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
(People's Daily 04/17/2001)
