President Hu Jintao met with the
secretaries-general of Japan's two ruling coalition parties in
Beijing on Sunday, calling on both countries to work for the
long-term healthy and stable development of bilateral
relations.
He said strengthening dialogue and communication
with them would have a positive impact on improving and promoting
China-Japan relations when there were difficulties.
Tsutomu Takebe, of the Liberal Democratic Party,
said that the old-generation of Chinese and Japanese leaders had
made unswerving efforts to developing their friendship since the
establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972.
Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, of the New Komeito Party, said
Japan and China have a long history of friendly exchange, but the
fact that Japan's aggression has caused great harm to the Chinese
people could not be denied.
Hu, also general secretary of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said "Both the CPC and the
government attach great importance to China-Japan relations and
sincerely hope that we can coexist peacefully, be friends from
generation to generation and conduct mutually-beneficial
cooperation for common development".
"Relations can progress healthily and steadily in
the long run as long as the two countries handle their relations
from a strategic and long-term point of view, strictly abide by the
principles and spirit of the three Sino-Japanese political
documents, including the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, adhere to
the principle of taking history as a mirror and looking to the
future, properly handle issues concerning history and Taiwan, solve
differences through dialogue and consultation, expand the
mutually-beneficial cooperation in all fields, and continue to
strengthen the political, economic and social foundations of
bilateral relations," he said.
Takebe agreed, saying this approach would be of
great strategic significance and could serve as a guide, and that
the Japanese side should study it seriously.
Fuyushiba said, "We should take that part of
history seriously, draw lessons from it, and prevent the historical
tragedy from being repeated."
(Xinhua News Agency, May 23, 2005)
