China urges Japan to improve bilateral ties

BEIJING - China on Tuesday urged the Japanese government to heed advice to improve bilateral ties through concrete action.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to a speech made by former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda on Monday urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to improve ties with China and the Republic of Korea.

Also on Monday, former Japanese politicians and honorary professors established a group to uphold former prime minister Tomiichi Murayama's speech and reflect on aggression and colonial behavior during World War II.

The China-Japan relationship has serious issues, said Qin. "This is not caused by China, and China does not enjoy it."

He said China knew that many ordinary people in Japan were concerned about the situation and made suggestions to the government.

"Good advice, like medicine, is hard to take," Qin said.

China has always advocated that the two nations should work on the basis of the four political documents between China and Japan and in the spirit of "taking history as a mirror and facing towards the future" to handle the issues in bilateral relations.

China would like to work with persons of insight in Japan to develop bilateral ties, Qin added.

Former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama stated on August 15, 1995 that Japan, through colonial rule and aggression had caused great damage and suffering to people of many countries, particularly in Asia, and no such mistake should be made in the future. He expressed his personal remorse and gave a heartfelt apology.

As to the issues in Murayama's speech, Abe has changed his view many times since his second term began last December, and his capriciousness has brought fierce criticism from countries which suffered Japan's past aggression.