Japan urged to mend ties with China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 07, 2004

Japan urged to mend ties with China

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Japan should take measures to improve its relations with China, which has been ill-affected by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated Shrine visits, says a signed article carried by Friday's issue of China's leading English-language newspaper China Daily.

The Japanese side "should keep clearly in mind the sensitivity and fragility of bilateral ties caused by historical issues and take appropriate measures to defuse the negative impact on bilateral ties caused by Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine so as to politically and diplomatically safeguard the further development of mutually beneficial economic relations," the article says.

The Japanese side needs to advise its public of the fact that the peaceful development of China is not a "threat" but a catalystthat can help the recovery of Japan's economy, according the author of the article.

"Gradual improvement of Sino-Japanese relations is an inevitable trend that cannot be held back by the personal will of any members of Japan's leadership," the article says. "The overallpositive functioning of the relationship should be maintained by both sides to prevent the derailing of closer trade and change thecurrent abnormal state of "cold politics and warm economics."

The article notes that the cold attitudes and conflicts in bilateral political ties have increasingly led to the growth of antipathy between the peoples.

"If such antipathy is further inflamed, it may eventually result in actions that will hamper normal trade between the two nations, and thus harm the fundamental interests of the two peoples," the article warns.

Meanwhile, the article says in a satisfactory tone that interaction at the provincial level is quite active and party-to-party relations are also running on normal track.

Since Koizumi took office, he has paid four visits to the TokyoYasukuni Shrine, inciting strong indignation in some Asian nations,including China and South Korea, because 14 Class A war criminals,including war-time prime minister Hideli Tojo, were enshrined in it.

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