China Voice: Foundation for China-Japan friendship is their people

BEIJING, May 24 -- While gestures by Japanese politicians on the country's aggressive past leave a lot to be desired, a visit to China by a large Japanese delegation shows there is hope for the future of bilateral ties.

The 3,000-member delegation, the largest mission between the two countries in recent years, was in China between Friday and Sunday. The event offered an opportunity to not only deepen tourism exchanges, but also improve mutual understanding and trust.

Peace and friendship have been reoccurring themes between the two neighbors for more than 2,000 years, and even in the darkest of times, people-to-people exchanges continued.

Chinese people raised several thousand Japanese orphans abandoned by their parents after the war. These orphans went on to play an active role in promoting China-Japan friendship.

The Japanese government's "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands in September 2012 and attempts to distort the conduct of Japanese militarists during World War II have not helped bilateral ties. However, there are plenty of people who bear a sense of justice and conscience.

The visiting delegation, which included heads of local governments and big enterprises, shows people are upbeat about the future.

Another visit, 31 years ago, by about 3,000 Japanese youngsters was to significantly improve mutual understanding at the time. One of the delegation was Yoshihiko Noda, who became prime minister in 2011. Noda called himself a "son" of Japan-China exchanges.

The young people in this year's delegation are expected to return to Japan energized by the positive experience, thus, further easing tensions.

After all, the world's second and third largest economies have great potential for cooperation.

The friendship and fundamental interests of the people of both countries should not be sabotaged by tensions caused by certain Japanese politicians.

Rather than bowing to certain interest groups, infamous for denying facts and history, they should listen to the voice of the people to really win the future.