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Time to forge ahead, says Hu

TOKYO: China’s President Hu Jintao said on Wednesday that historical experience showed China and Japan must seek a path of peace, friendship and cooperation.

During talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Mr. Hu said: “This is the right choice that is in the fundamental interests of the two countries.” China and Japan have enjoyed friendly exchanges for more than 2,000 years in the past, though there was a miserable period of time between the two countries, said Mr. Hu.

Peaceful coexistence, friendship, mutual benefits and common development are of vital importance to peace, stability and prosperity of Asia and the world at large, he added. Welcoming Mr. Hu, whose visit coincides with the 30th anniversary of the endorsement of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Mr. Fukuda said Japan was willing to work with China to push forward bilateral ties.

The two countries should reach a consensus on the path to develop bilateral ties, stick to their beliefs and make practical efforts to push forward bilateral relations, said Mr. Fukuda. The two sides agreed that advancing long-term and good-neighbourly bilateral relations was in the fundamental interests of the two countries. They agreed to enhance cooperation on measures to tackle climate change, denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and promotion of cooperation in East Asia and development in Africa.

They also agreed to start at an early date to materially dismantle the World War II chemical weapons abandoned in China by Japanese troops. Mr. Hu visit, the first by a Chinese President over the past decade, has been dubbed a “warm-spring” trip.

China and Japan signed a joint statement on advancing strategic and mutually beneficial relations after talks between Mr. Hu and Mr. Fukuda held talks on Wednesday. Mr. Hu said the political document represents the progress and fresh consensus the two countries have reached.

Based on the three previous political documents, the joint statement — fourth political document — formulated guiding principles for long-term development of ties and mapped out the future for relations, said Mr Hu. The documents — Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration — served as the bedrock to develop relations. In 1972, China and Japan issued the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and normalised diplomatic relations, and 2008 marked the 30th anniversary of the endorsement of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. — Xinhua

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