China's memorial events on WWII not aimed at Japan, says diplomat

TOKYO - A senior Chinese diplomat said here Friday that the planned memorial events in China marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII this year are not directed at today 's Japan and the Japanese people, hoping China-Japan ties could keep improving.

Liu Jianchao, China's assistant foreign minister, made the remarks at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the exchange of correspondents between China and Japan.

Unlike the Japanese war criminals and militarists, the Japanese people were also war victims, Liu said, adding the memorial events are aimed at "remembering history, memorizing martyrs, cherishing peace and ushering in the future."

The senior diplomat also expressed his hope that Japan could listen to the voice of its Asian neighbors and the international community to properly handle historical issues so as to make the sensitive year become an opportunity for Japan to mend ties with China.

The media from the two countries should deepen mutual understandings and play an active role in improving bilateral peaceful and friend relationship, Liu said.

Kawamura Yasuhisa, a spokesman of Japan's Foreign Ministry, said at the ceremony that Japan follows a peaceful development road on the basis of refection on wartime history and the current Japanese cabinet upholds all official statements issued by previous governments and will contribute to Asia's peace and development.

Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua said the two countries' correspondents witnessed the development of China-Japan relations and contributed to the development, adding that media from the two sides should continue to provide objective and rational perceptions to their readers so as to improve bilateral ties.