Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said in Tokyo Saturday that history can not be forgotten as forgetting the past means betrayal.
Talking with 100 representatives of Japan’s general public on a TBS television program, the visiting Chinese Premier answered questions raised by them, including the issue of history, the Taiwan issue and the issue of economic and trade cooperation between China and Japan.
On the issue of history, Zhu said that the 1937 Nanjing Massacre is a historical fact, with sufficient evidence to prove it, which is undeniable.
He pointed out that Japan has never formally apologized to China for its war of aggression against the Chinese people.
“I would like to call your attention to one thing. That is, in any of the official documents, Japan has never apologized to the Chinese people,” he said, “I think this deserves serious reflection on the part of the Japanese side.”
Referring to the Taiwan issue, Zhu reaffirmed that Taiwan has been Chinese territory since ancient times and that since the end of the Second World War, the international community has universally recognized the fact that Taiwan has returned to China.
“We stand for the ‘one country, two systems’ policy on the peaceful unification of China, but this does not mean that we will change Taiwan’s existing system or the life style of the people there,” he said.
Zhu said that Taiwan will only benefit from unification with the Mainland.
The whole Chinese people are of the aspiration that unification of the motherland will be realized eventually, he said.
The Chinese premier arrived in Tokyo Thursday for a six-day official visit.
(Xinhua 10/15/2000)
