China's top legislator, Wu Bangguo, said that developing good
neighborly ties with Japan was the only choice that conformed to
the fundamental interests of the two countries.
Wu made the remarks Sunday when meeting with visiting Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress (NPC), Wu said Abe's visit attracted world
attention especially from Japanese and Chinese people.
"I hope the stalemate in Chinese-Japanese relations will come to
an end and I believe this visit will turn over a new page for
Chinese-Japanese ties," Wu said.
Abe, who took office on September 26, is the first Japanese
postwar prime minister to choose China as the destination of his
first official overseas trip.
He's also the first Japanese leader visiting China in five years
as top-level visits had halted because of Abe's predecessor
Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine where 14
class-A war criminals from WWII are honored along with Japan's war
dead.
Abe told Wu that this visit indicated both Japan and China
attached "extreme importance" to bilateral ties.
Wu said China and Japan were big nations and also neighbors.
"You can choose friends but cannot choose neighbors." So, to
develop good neighborly ties was the only choice that conforms to
the fundamental interests of the two peoples which also had
benefits for peace, stability and development in Asia and the whole
world as well.
Wu urged the two countries to look at bilateral relations in a
long and strategic perspective. The two should continue to "take
history as a mirror and look into the future," abide by the
principles set out in the three Sino-Japanese political documents
and steer the direction of bilateral relations and settle
historical problems and the Taiwan issue properly, he said.
Wu said the non-governmental friendship between the two
countries had been an important guarantee for the development of
bilateral relations and hoped China and Japan could further promote
exchanges in non-governmental, cultural fields and youth
exchanges.
Wu said the NPC had established a regular exchange mechanism
with its Japanese counterpart and he hoped this channel could play
its due role in promoting bilateral relations.
Abe said to promote understanding and trust between the
countries was the foundation for bilateral relations and the
Japanese were glad to see frequent exchanges between the
parliamentary organizations of the two countries.
The Japanese hoped to promote understanding between the peoples
and bring bilateral relations to a higher level, Abe said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2006)