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Premier Zhu Rongji on Friday called for a "new page" in Sino-Japanese relations in a speech delivered in Tokyo to civic groups promoting better ties between China and Japan.

"We need to turn a new page through the friendship of the two countries," Zhu said. "Through my visit to your country, I aim to help relations between the two countries progress in a sound and stable manner," the premier said.

Zhu's speech came after he held summit talks lasting over two hours with Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, during which he noted that Japanese as well as Chinese people had suffered at the hands of Japan's war-time leadership.

"In modern times, Japanese militarism caused us to suffer huge damage," Zhu told Mori, according to a Japanese foreign ministry official. "But Japanese people were also victims," Zhu said. "Japanese people are not responsible.

"With history as a mirror, we want to move towards the future. I hope history will never repeat itself."

About 20 million people died as a result of Japan's 1937-45 occupation. The 1937-8 Nanjing massacre alone killed 300,000 people, according to evidence presented to allied trials of Japanese war criminals.

Chinese calls for a formal apology from Tokyo peaked in November 1998, when President Jiang Zemin paid a visit to Japan. A written joint declaration mentioned Japan's "deep remorse" but failed to offer a proper apology.

Both Zhu Rongji and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori hailed budding detente on the Korean peninsula as they held their first summit talks.

"We praised the reduction of tension on the Korean peninsula, following the (June) North-South summit, which is seen as a route towards stability in the region," read a joint statement released after Mori and Zhu met for two hours and 20 minutes.

The statement was referring to a meeting between South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il in June.

Japan and North Korea plan to hold another round of talks on establishing diplomatic ties late this month in Beijing.

Tokyo and Beijing "will continue to expand cooperation in investment and trade," the statement also said.

Japan said it would help Chinese preparations to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) late this year or early next.

"The Japanese side promised to work to provide further cooperation in terms of technology and expertise for the purpose of China's participation in the WTO," the statement said.

"We share the view that it is important to improve China's domestic legal system," it added.

The two leaders confirmed Japan and China had opened a telephone hotline, first agreed upon during a visit in Tokyo by Chinese President Jiang Zemin in November 1998.

The Chinese premier plans to take questions from a Tokyo town hall audience during a televised encounter on Saturday.

On Monday he will have an audience with Emperor Akihito before leaving on Tuesday for Seoul, where he is due to attend the third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit.

(China Daily 10/13/2000)