China's Top Legislator Reminds Japan to Properly Handle History Issue

Li Peng Meets Japanese Justice Minister

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China's top legislator Li Peng said here Tuesday that China hopes the Japanese side will handle the history issue in a "particularly careful and appropriate manner" to ensure a healthy and stable development of China-Japan relations.

Li made the remark during a meeting with visiting Japanese Justice Minister Masahiko Komura.

How to handle the history issue appropriately is a matter related to the political basis of Sino-Japanese relations, and therefore deserves due attention, Li noted. China hopes the Japanese side will appropriately handle the matter with particular care in accordance with the principles set out in the Sino- Japanese Joint Statement and other bilateral documents as well as the common ground of "learning from past experience and looking forward to the future."

Appropriate handling of the issue will clear away the obstacles to the development of Sino-Japanese relations in the 21st century, Li stressed.

Li said China always pays special attention to developing good- neighborly relations with Japan because it is in the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries.

Komura said the stable development of relations between Japan and China will be good not only for the stability and development of the Asian-Pacific region, but the world as a whole. Exchanges of visits between top leaders of the two countries have helped deepen bilateral relations, he noted.

The Japanese minister said there are some problems during the development of Japan-China relations. But, he said, he believes that the Japanese government will continue to handle the history issue in accordance with the China-Japan Joint Statement and the speech made by former Japanese Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi.

Japanese Govt Officially Approves Controversial History Textbook

The Japanese Education Ministry on Tuesday officially approved a controversial history textbook for junior high school for 2002 without redressing its history-distorting essence and the beautification of Japan's past aggressions, again arousing indignation from neighboring Asian countries and peace-loving organizations in Japan.

The history textbook, which drew protests from some Asian countries as well as peace-loving organizations and scholars in Japan, was complied by nationalist Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. The right wing group claims the current books are biased against Japan and full of self-denigration.