China calls on Japan-ROK relations to develop in direction conducive to regional peace, stability, prosperity

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- China opposes exclusive blocs of individual countries and hopes that the relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) can develop in a direction conducive to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday.

"As a close neighbor of the two countries, China has noted the recent interactions between Japan and the ROK and the changes in their relations," Wang said at a daily news briefing when answering a relevant query.

Wang noted that the aggression and colonial rule of Japanese militarism have caused great disasters to Asian countries including China and the ROK.

"Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future," Wang said, adding China has always asked Japan to deeply reflect on its history of aggression, properly handle historical issues in an honest and responsible manner, and develop normal state-to-state relations with its Asian neighbors on this basis.

Noting China, Japan, and the ROK are each other's important economic and trade partners, Wang said it is in the common interests of the three parties and the region to jointly maintain stable and unimpeded production and supply chains at the regional and global levels.