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China Tells G-8 to Listen to Developing Countries
On the eve of this year's Group of Eight (G8) summit in Okinawa, Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on member countries to give full consideration to developing countries when they discuss and implement economic policies.
"China hopes that the G8 will contribute to strengthening international co-operation and promoting the steady and balanced development of world economy," ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Thursday. However, he stressed that the United Nations is the organization that plays the most important role in international affairs.
Chinese sources said G8 nations consult China before or after the summit as a custom. Zhu reaffirmed that China, as a developing nation, will not join the G8 but will continue to keep in touch with its member countries.
As this year's anniversary of Japan's surrender approaches, Zhu urged Japan to face its history of invasion during World War II.
"We hope that Japan will learn from history, and continue to develop in a peaceful way," Zhu said. The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo was built to honour Japanese soldiers who died in wars. Among those honoured were some Japanese war criminals from World War II.
In previous years, when Japanese cabinet members visited the shrine on August 15, Japanese surrender day, Asian countries that were victims of Japanese aggression, including China, reacted with anger.
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