By Chen Haosu

Both grand ideas and practical efforts are needed to bring Japan and China closer.

Just such a combination of long-term strategic thinking and everyday efforts has ensured the success of the Third Beijing-Tokyo Forum.

Grand views mean that we should aim to establish within in the next decade or so a sound interactive system in which obstacles are minimized and mutual trust maximized.

Practical efforts mean that we should carefully study and acknowledge our differences, have practical discussions and exert positive influences upon a world full of challenges.

Establishing a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship is a long-term process. The process itself can help resolve differences, develop trust and expand cooperation.

We cannot rush into anything, but we cannot passively wait either. Continuous communication is needed to establish such relations, especially the communication and mutual trust between the social elite in our two countries.

If the two countries - two economic powers in the eastern part of Asia - work against each other, it will worry the world as well as Asia. If we work together, we can make great contributions to the peace and development of the whole world.

Recent surveys show that people in the two countries have improving perceptions and ideas about each other.

The social elite in Japan think highly of bilateral ties, while ordinary people's attitudes toward China remain largely unchanged, the surveys find.

Chinese people also have improving views about Japan, especially students and city dwellers.

However, we should not be blindly optimistic, and must continue to work hard and smartly to realize our grand views.

The Beijing-Tokyo Forum is still in its initial stage, and people in the two countries are set to expand their exchanges on the basis of mutual understanding and trust.

Bilateral relations still face many problems, some leftover by history, some coming directly from the reality.

This fact requires us not to avoid our differences and realize that heated discussions, as long as both parties are frank and sincere, are needed to resolve thorny problems.

In the group discussion on "Asian Security Protection and Sino-Japanese Relations", I did see frank and hot discussion on some thorny issues.

Both governments came close to agreeing to establish a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship, but admitted that they lacked basic mutual trust and tended to see each other as strategic adversaries in certain areas.

China has adopted a moderate foreign policy and never makes any trouble on the international stage.

Looking at the current hot international affairs, you will find that China was not behind any of them. Although we are pursuing a moderate foreign policy, we don't hesitate to show our warmth to our friends and listen to their criticism.

If our Japanese friends understand China's stance, it will be much easier for us to reach common ground. At the same time, China also appreciates Japan's stance, such as sticking to peaceful development after World War II, which has greatly benefited the Japanese economy.

The Japanese people have a lot that they could teach the rest of the world, especially China.

The author is the president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

(China Daily August 30, 2007)