Chinese FM Hopes for Normal, Healthy Relations Between China, JapanChina always attaches great importance to the Sino-Japanese relations. As close neighbors of Asia, China and Japan should draw lessons from the past, look to the future and cooperate closely for a glorious future of Asia.This is key part of China's policy towards Japan in the new century, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told his Japanese counterpart Makiko Tanaka during a meeting Tuesday in Hanoi. Meanwhile, the Chinese side hoped that Japan will take concrete measures to handle the existing problems in a proper way by taking into account the overall relations between the two countries, so as to bring the bilateral relations forward along the normal and healthy track, said the Chinese foreign minister. Tang set forth emphatically China's principled stand on history issues, especially the issue of "Yasukuni Shrine," stressing that the core of the issue is whether the Japanese government will sincerely acknowledge and reflect on the history of aggression, and whether it will respect the feeling of those war-victimized countries. He hoped Japanese leaders will make a wise decision on this issue. Tanaka said she has taken note of the stand of the Chinese side, and reaffirmed that there is no change in the position of the Japanese government to acknowledge and reflect on the history of aggression in the past. The Japanese foreign minister said the issue of "Yasukuni Shrine" is a vital question that may have an impact on Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors and that Tokyo needs to take a discreet approach to the issue. She expressed Japan's willingness to develop long-term, good- neighborly relations with its neighboring countries including China. |
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