Japan is urged to do more to improve ties

Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that important progress has been made

The Japanese government should do more to facilitate China-Japan cooperation and achieve positive interaction in the relationship, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Japanese Ambassador to China Yutaka Yokoi.

Wang spoke with Yokoi on Thursday in Beijing. On the same day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a reception hosted by the Chinese embassy in Japan to mark the founding of People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Wang said Abe’s presence is good news, and hopefully there will be more good news rather than bad news in China-Japan ties. It was the first attendance of its kind by an incumbent Japanese prime minister in the past 15 years.

It is hoped the Japanese government acts on China policies in a more positive way, Wang said. He said on Thursday that bilateral ties have overcome a number of difficulties and have achieved important progress. China and Japan should cherish the efforts of leaders of the elder generation and further improve and develop ties, which is a historical duty that both sides should undertake, Wang added.

Yokoi told Wang that Abe’s attending the reception is a demonstration of Japan’s goodwill in improving JapanChina ties. He noted that next year marks the 40th anniversary of China and Japan signing their bilateral treaty of peace and friendship. Yokoi said Tokyo is ready to work with Beijing to further reinforce the improving momentum of the relationship.

On Friday, Abe sent a congratulatory message on behalf of the Japanese government to Premier Li Keqiang as this year marks the 45th anniversary of China and Japan normalizing their diplomatic relations in 1972.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said in another congratulatory message to Wang on Friday that he believes both countries are able to work shoulder to shoulder to address various global issues.

Yang Bojiang, deputy director of the Institute of Japan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the two nations should properly manage their differences and achieve effective communication as they embrace the 45th anniversary. Yang said some political figures in Japan have publicly glossed over Japan’s aggression during World War II, and some others have challenged the one-China policy, one of the cornerstones of China-Japan diplomatic ties.

Zhang Yunling, a senior researcher in Asia-Pacific studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that politicians should shoulder their duties and the public in both nations should boost their awareness to help nurture strategic mutual trust and meet halfway.