More than 50 percent of those polled in China and 40.9 percent
in Japan are optimistic about bilateral ties between the two
countries since the exchange of "ice-breaking" and "ice-thawing"
visits by the two prime ministers, according to a survey released
on Friday.
The survey was conducted by China Daily, Japanese
think-tank Genron NPO and Peking University. It covered 1,300
people in Japan and 3,000 in China. Most said economic and
environmental cooperation would benefit both countries.
About 65 percent of the Chinese respondents and 51 percent of
the Japanese respondents expressed optimism that the two economies
can collaborate for the future of Asia.
"Compared with the survey in 2006, we see an obvious increase in
the percentage of Chinese and Japanese people who feel neighborly
with each other," Li Yu, a professor at Peking University,
said.
In China, the figure regarding those who had a "good" or "quite
good" impression of Japan saw a growth of 18.7 percent compared
with last year.
In Japan, the figure for those who thought there were "big" or
"moderate" improvements increased by 14.2 percent.
Li said the survey showed it was vital to build a broad
public-opinion base facilitating exchanges between the two nations
to promote mutual understanding.
The survey was released a week before the opening of the third
Beijing-Tokyo Forum.
Support for the forum by the two countries' influential figures
in the political arena, business, and culture has heralded a good
beginning for "second-track diplomacy" between the two countries,
the survey said.
(China Daily August 18, 2007)
