Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Tuesday urged the Japanese
government to remove political obstacles to improving and
developing bilateral ties.
During a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso, it was
highlighted by Li that a correct understanding and reaction to an
unfortunate period of history constituted an important political
basis for restoration and development of post-war bilateral
ties.
He emphasized that Japanese leaders' insistence on paying homage
at the Yasukuni Shrine which honors convicted Japanese war
criminals had hurt Chinese people and harmed the political basis
for bilateral ties.
"It’s imperative to remove such an obstacle to permit for
improving and developing bilateral ties," Li said.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the fifth ministerial
meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue in the Qatari capital of
Doha, which opened Tuesday and will close Wednesday.
Li said the Chinese government attached great importance to
developing Sino-Japanese friendship and were ready to promote
neighborly and cooperative ties with Japan based on learning from
historical lessons and looking to the future.
Li recalled that Chinese President Hu Jintao expounded on his government's
policies of cherishing and developing bilateral relations in a
meeting with a group of Japanese guests representing seven
associations for Japanese-Chinese friendship on March 31.
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He observed that at present Sino-Japanese political ties were
facing serious difficulties and this was not in the interests of
the two countries nor in line with the aspirations of the
international community. The Chinese were willing to work with the
Japanese to bring bilateral ties back on track, Li said.
For his part Aso said Japan paid close attention to its ties
with China and welcomed the country’s peaceful development. He
hoped bilateral ties could be developed based on three political
documents guiding those links. .
On the Taiwan issue he said the Japanese government would
continue to observe the one-China principle.
He said the Japanese government had thought about President Hu's
remarks on March 31 and hoped that the two sides would grasp the
real meaning of the remarks to engage in more discussion and
exchanges with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding in order
to improve and develop bilateral ties.
During the meeting the two sides agreed that Sino-Japanese ties
were one of the most important bilateral relationships for both
countries.?
The two ministers also agreed that it was important to
strengthen strategic dialogue, to work together to remove political
barriers, to deepen economic and trade cooperation, to initiate
cooperation in the areas of energy saving and environmental
protection and to expand shared interests.
They agreed that it was important to promote people-to-people
exchanges, especially among young people, and to continue to engage
in security dialogue at deputy ministerial-level and military
exchanges.
(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2006)