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Chinese Envoy on Sino-Japanese Ties
Sino-Japanese relations are facing their "toughest situation" since China and Japan normalized diplomatic ties nearly 30 years ago due to issues mainly related to history and Taiwan, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Dawei said Friday.
"This year, bilateral relations have seriously suffered from the two most sensitive issues -- those of history and Taiwan," Wu told a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, adding "economic and trade issues" to the list of outstanding problems.
Bilateral ties between China and Japan have been strained over Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's August 13 visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine honoring 14 Class A war criminals among nearly 2.5 million Japanese war dead and the Japanese government's approval of a controversial junior high school history textbook which distorts history and glosses over Japan's wartime aggression.
Under such circumstances, the urgent task for the two governments is to seriously resolve the existing problems with a responsible attitude so as to improve bilateral ties, said the new Chinese ambassador, who assumed the post on August 1.
Most of the Japanese people, including many Japanese politicians, want to enhance ties with China, Wu said, adding that the development of friendly Sino-Japanese ties is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples.
The current Sino-Japanese relationship is a result of unremitting efforts made by several generations of people of the two countries, Wu noted, adding that the two governments and peoples should cherish the hard-won relationship.
At the press conference, Wu also criticized Japan for issuing visa for Taiwan's Lee Teng-hui, who visited Japan in April.
"Supporting Lee Teng-hui means supporting the independence of Taiwan," Wu said, warning that moves to promote Taiwan independence would strain the situation of Taiwan Strait.
The Chinese ambassador urged the Japanese government to seriously tackle the issue from a political and strategic point of view.
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