China yesterday called on Japan to cooperate in overcoming the political obstacles to their relations. 

 

"We hope Japan will make joint efforts with us to overcome the political obstacles in our relations as soon as possible and get China-Japan relations back on the track of healthy and stable development," Vice President Zeng Qinghong said in a meeting with Makoto Koga, former secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. 

 

Sino-Japanese relations have been soured by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine where Japan's war dead, including 14 convicted class-A war criminals from World War II, are honored. The shrine also hosts a museum defending Japan's past militarism. 

 

But in recent months there's been increasing dialogue between party and government officials of the two countries. 

 

Zeng described China and Japan as "countries with significant influence in Asia and the world." He said developing "long-term, stable, good-neighborly and friendly ties" served the basic interests of the two countries and also helped promote peace, stability and the development of Asia and the world. 

 

He stressed that China remained committed to dealing with bilateral relations at a strategic level and from a long-term perspective. 

 

Calling Makoto "an old friend of the Chinese people and myself," Zeng thanked him for his contribution to the China-Japan friendship. He also expressed his condolences over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

 

As one of the leaders of the seven Japan-China friendship organizations Hashimoto paid a goodwill visit to China and met with President Hu Jintao in March this year. 

 

Makoto said the friendship between Japan and China, which had been established by older generations of leaders, should be cherished. The new generation of politicians should shoulder the historical responsibility for deepening and developing those ties.   

 

Relations between Japan and China are in a crucial period, Makoto said. "We should bear history in mind and make new contributions to the continuous development of Japan-China friendly ties," he noted.

 

Makoto is visiting China at the invitation of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2006)