President Hu Jintao said Monday in Beijing that he hoped the
politicians of China and Japan would jointly promote Sino-Japanese
good-neighbourly cooperative relations.
Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central
Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with the
secretaries-general of the three ruling parties in Japan -- Taku
Yamazaki of the Liberal Democratic Party, Tetsuzo Fuyushiba of the
Komei Party, and Toshihiro Nikai of the New Conservative Party.
Vice-Premier Huang Ju and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan also met
the Japanese guests separately yesterday.
Hu
said Sino-Japanese ties had seen notable development since the two
countries established full diplomatic relations, which had
benefited the two peoples and contributed to the peace, stability
and development of Asia as well as the world.
Hu
said improving and developing Sino-Japanese ties was of greater
significance in the new century with constantly changing
international and regional situations.
In
accordance with the principles enshrined in the joint statement,
the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and the joint declaration
between China and Japan, Hu said, the two sides should constantly
expand good-neighbourly co-operative relations.
Hu
hoped the statesmen of the two countries would, by drawing lessons
from history, looking towards the future, aiming at long-term
interests and the entirety of bilateral relations and conforming to
the historical trends, jointly push forward good-neighbourly
co-operative ties.
During the meeting, Hu also briefed the Japanese guests on China's
measures to contain SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and
thanked the Japanese Government and its people for their support
and help.
The two sides also exchanged views on other international and
regional issues of common concern.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty
of Peace and Friendship between the two countries, said the
Japanese guests.
They said the joint visit of the three ruling parties showed their
common aspiration to develop friendship between the two
countries.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi greatly valued good-
neighborly friendly relations, they said.
Koizumi also noted that Japan would always follow the principle of
drawing lessons from history and looking towards the future.
The Japanese guests spoke highly of China's efforts to fight SARS
and said they hoped the Chinese people could win the battle
soon.
Vice-Premier Huang said the new Chinese Government was ready to
co-operate with Japan to further expand and deepen friendly
bilateral co-operation.
(China Daily May 20, 2003)