Forum told: Respect could help China-Japan ties
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-08-23 11:30

It is important to note that China distinguishes the war criminals from the common Japanese in history education, Chen said, pointing out that the Japanese people were also victimized by that war.

Chen spoke highly of the Japanese devoted to the promotion of Sino-Japanese ties, calling them true representatives of the conscience of the Japanese people.

He called on the two sides to join hands in promoting ties, saying that only by doing so can the two parties maximize the common interests.

Sino-Japanese ties have hopes of improvement within ten years or in an even shorter span, said Zhao Qizheng, vice-director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, citing long-term bilateral friendship over the past 2,000 years, cultural similarity, mutual complementary economies, common security and peace needs and smooth non-governmental exchanges.

The former minister of the State Council Information Office hoped the media in the two countries could play a more positive role for the improvement of bilateral ties, urging them not to exaggerate the differences.

Zhu Ling, editor-in-chief of China Daily, said the China-Japan ties now face serious challenges, and media organizations could and should do more in promoting good relations between the two nations.

He hoped the forum would help build ladders leading to good bilateral ties.

There is a deep distrust between China and Japan, part of the result of a series of historical issue, especially the Yasukuni Shrine issue, said Takashi Shiraishi, vice head of the Japan-based National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

This kind of mistrust is not good for bilateral ties and the two sides should endeavor to turn the distrust into trust, he sadi.

For the Japanese, how to accept the emerging China is a key issue, according to the professor.

He called on the two sides to respect each other and re-establish China-Japan relationship on an equal basis.