China-Japan solution? Back to square one

A former Chinese Ambassador to Japan in Beijing Saturday said returning to the "very beginning point" of the normalization of China-Japan ties could be the only way out for deadlocked bilateral relations.

Xu Dunxin, the former ambassador and also a former vice foreign minister, made the remarks at the 9th Beijing-Tokyo Forum, an annual forum co-sponsored by China Daily and Japanese think tank Genron NPO.

The ties between China and Japan suffered a nosedive after Japan unilaterally announced the "nationalization" of China's Diaoyu Islands. And the ties are getting worse under Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's right-wing political and military policies, Xu said.

Calling Abe's right-wing polices as "history backwardness", Xu urged the two countries to re-examine the treaty and carry out its spirit.

"Only by facing up to history can we sit down to discuss the future of China-Japan ties, and only by admitting the disputes of Diaoyu Island can we find a final end through negotiations," Xu said.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty. Xu said carrying out the spirit of the treaty is a prerequisite for further bilateral talks.

Signed in 1978, the milestone document outlines the obligations to peacefully handle disputes and sensitive issues through bilateral negotiations.

Citing a quote from Chinese classic The Analects of Confucius, Xu said the two countries should keep their promises and implement their deeds.