Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 17, 2003
Sino-Japanese Ties Should be Valued: Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met Wednesday with a delegation from the Democratic Party of Japan headed by its leader Kan Naoto.
Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met Wednesday with a delegation from the Democratic Party of Japan headed by its leader Kan Naoto.
Hu said that Sino-Japanese relations, cultivated by previous generations of both sides, constitute a hard-won achievement that should be valued by both sides.
He noted that the CPC and the Chinese government have always attached great importance to bilateral relations, and under the current circumstances, it is a critical responsibility of political parties and statesmen from both sides to contribute to the sound and steady advancement of bilateral relations.
He stressed that both sides should, with a responsible attitude, learn from history, look ahead to the future and adhere to the principles enshrined in the bilateral documents so as to enhance mutual political trust, reciprocal cooperation, friendly exchanges, dialogue and consultations in order to continuously inject new vigor into bilateral relations and take bilateral relations to a new level.
They also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.
Kan said the Democratic Party attaches great importance to its relations with the CPC, pointing to the frequent bilateral contacts, especially high-level exchanges, that have taken place between the two parties since they set up party-to-party relations. These contacts have played an important role in furthering the friendly relations between the two parties and promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries.
Kan suggested that the two countries continue to strengthen cooperation in various fields, especially in the economic field.
Expressing his admiration for China's economic achievements, he said he believes that China is capable of achieving its goal of quadrupling its GDP by the year 2020.