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China No Threat to Any Other Country: President Jiang
Chinese President Jiang Zemin said Friday that China's development will be good for Asia and the world, and the country will be no threat to any other country.
Jiang made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation composed of economic officials and entrepreneurs from Japan, who have just concluded their visit to some parts of western China.
Jiang stressed that China is a developing country, and still has a long way to go in its economic development. China and Japan are more of a complementary relationship in terms of economic growth.
In addition, as China's economy grows, its market will also grow and it will be increasingly integrated with the world economy. Such a prospect will no doubt be good for all countries, and Asian countries in particular, Jiang said.
China's strategy to develop its western areas was a major decision of the Chinese government for the long-term growth of the country in the new century, Jiang said. The strategy also brings opportunities for cooperation between China and Japan.
But economic cooperation needs a stable political environment, Jiang stressed.
"As to the history issue between our two countries, I have reiterated that we should 'learn from history and look into the future,'" Jiang said. "That is the consensus reached between our two sides when I visited Japan in 1998."
Jiang said looking into the future is the objective which can only be reached on the basis of learning from history. "I hope Japanese friends of the economic circle can bear this principle in mind, and work jointly with China to push forward China-Japan relations."
Imai Takashi, top advisor of the Japanese delegation, said they were deeply impressed by the enthusiasm of the Chinese people in developing the western region of the country. He stressed that Japan and China are increasingly interdependent on each other in their economic growth, and that Japanese business people will treat the history issue in a correct manner and work jointly with the Chinese side to create a better future for Japan-China relations.
Imai noted Beijing's successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, the country's upcoming entry into the World Trade Organization and its hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting next month in Shanghai, saying Japan welcomes and supports China to contribute more to world peace and development.
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