Foundations Of Friendship

Beijing-tokyo Forum calls for deepening mutual trust

Asurvey conducted between August and September shows that Chinese people’s impression of Japan has improved since 2014, matching the momentum of improved bilateral ties. The result was released ahead of the 14th Beijing-tokyo Forum held in Tokyo on October 14-15, the highest platform for civil diplomatic dialogue between China and Japan.

According to the survey, 40 percent of the 1,500 respondents across China said their feelings toward Japan have “improved” or “comparatively improved” this year, a two-fold increase from 20.4 percent in 2017. Also, 30.2 percent believed that relations between China and Japan are “getting better,” while 24.1 percent felt the opposite. The figures were 14.7 percent and 44.5 percent, respectively last year. However, 38.2 percent of the respondents thought bilateral ties would be “better” or “relatively better” in the future, a 9.4-percent increase compared to 2017.

After years of freeze-up due to territorial disputes and Japan’s revisionist attitude toward its past war crimes, China-japan relations have seen signs of thaw in the past two years. Since 2017, Tokyo has been seeking rapprochement with Beijing by expressing interest in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative as well as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s attending a ceremony marking China’s National Day at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.

In May, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang paid an official visit to Japan, the first in eight years by a Chinese premier. President Xi Jinping met Abe on the sidelines of the fourth Eastern Economic Forum held in Russia in September, and they agreed to improve bilateral ties and shoulder joint responsibilities in promoting regional and global peace and stability, as well as development and prosperity. In late October, Abe will pay an official visit to China, the first by a Japanese prime minister in seven years. These high- level exchanges are charting the course for the future development of bilateral relations.

Against this backdrop, the 14th BeijingTokyo Forum, co-organized by the China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and the non-profit Japanese think tank Genron NPO, took the theme “deepening mutual trust and cooperation, sharing responsibility for peace and development in Asia and the world, and exploring the practical significance of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship.” With the attendance of more than 100 participants from political, business, academic and media circles of the two countries, in-depth discussions were held on key issues affecting bilateral relations such as political mutual trust, economic and trade cooperation, security assurance and media responsibility, among others.

Future-oriented relations

When addressing the opening ceremony of the forum, Xu Lin, Minister of the State Council Information Office of China, said that this year not only marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up, but also the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan. The two anniversaries are rich in connotations and are interrelated, inspiring the two countries to promote current bilateral relations.

Xu stressed that peace, friendship and cooperation are the three essentials to keeping bilateral relations on the right track. These three elements conform to the common aspirations of the two peoples, serve the common interests of China and Japan, and keep abreast of the trend of the times, he said.

Xu suggested the two countries draw lessons from history, maintain a stable development of bilateral relations and seek mutual trust and common ground. He also urged them to deepen practical cooperation, follow the principle of mutual benefit and enhance friendship between their people.

Former UN Under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Yasushi Akashi said China plays an important role in the formation and development of the existing international order. He called on the two countries to build future-oriented friendly relations on the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

With China and Japan both facing the challenges of providing adequate social welfare and healthcare to their people, an aging society and global warming, Akashi said the two countries should make corresponding policies to achieve connectivity and co-participation on global issues.

China-japan relations are of vital importance to both, playing an increasingly important role in the peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world at large, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, said. He suggested the two sides deepen political mutual trust, properly manage their differences and strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

CIPG Vice President Fang Zhenghui stressed that extensive and in- depth people-to-people dialogue and exchanges are the foundation of China-japan friendship. In-depth discussions on topics such as the role China and Japan should play in achieving peace in Northeast Asia and Sino-japanese cooperation in the digital economy are anticipated in the future, Fang said.

The forum adopted the Tokyo Consensus in which the two sides agreed to jointly safeguard regional peace, prosperity, stability and development and enhance bilateral and multilateral trade and economic cooperation, as well as boost people-to-people exchanges to promote continued improvement and development of bilateral ties.

All-dimensional dialogue

At sub-forums on political mutual trust, trade and economy, security and media, participants exchanged views on enhanc-