Former state councilor urges implementation of four-point agreement on China-Japan ties

Former state councilor Tang Jiaxuan on Thursday urged China and Japan to seriously implement the newly reached four-point agreement, properly deal with sensitive issues, and push forward the sound and stable development of bilateral ties.

Tang made the remarks at a press conference of the fifth meeting of the New China-Japan Friendship Committee for the 21st Century, which was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday.

China and Japan reached a four-point agreement to improve bilateral ties when Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi met in Beijing with visiting National Security Advisor of Japan Shotaro Yachi on Nov. 7, agreeing to resume political, diplomatic and security dialogue while acknowledging different positions on the Diaoyu Islands.

Tang, also the top Chinese member of the joint committee that serves as a consultative body to the two governments, urged the two sides to abide by the principles of the four political documents to develop the China-Japan strategic relationship to mutual benefit.

The four documents include the China-Japan Joint Statement inked in 1972, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1978, the China-Japan Joint Declaration of 1998 and a joint statement on advancing strategic and mutually-beneficial relations in a comprehensive way that was signed in 2008.

He also called on the two sides to develop their relations in the spirit of "facing history squarely and looking forward to the future," as well as the spirit of peace, friendship, cooperation, development and win-win.

Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Fascist War and the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

On Wednesday's opening ceremony, Tang said the people of the two countries should stand on the same side against fascism and militarism and jointly safeguard historical justice and world peace.

Japan's Asian neighbors and the world will pay high attention to the information released by the Japanese government in 2015, he said.

Tang said next year will be an important opportunity for Japan to realize true reconciliation with its Asian neighbors if Japan could face up to and profoundly reflect on its history.

He hoped that the Japanese government will honor the commitments made by successive Japanese administrations, including a speech by former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama who stated that Japan, through colonial rule and aggression, had caused great damage and suffering to people of many countries, particularly in Asia, and that no such mistake should be made in the future.

Only in this way can Sino-Japanese relations free from the disturbance of history issues, he said.

According to a press release of the committee, the two-day meeting reached four consensus on the development of bilateral relations.

The committee spoke positively of the four-point agreement and the meeting between leaders of the two countries during the APEC meeting, regarding them as an important step toward the improvement of bilateral ties.

The committee believed that China-Japan relations remain one of the most important bilateral relations to both the two countries, and the two countries shoulder important responsibilities in promoting peace, stability and development in Asia and the world.

The two sides should adhere to the principles and spirits of the four political documents.

The consensus that China and Japan are cooperation partners, not threat to each other, and the two countries will support each other's peaceful development, should be carried out in each other's policies and actions.

The committee stressed that China and Japan should both follow the path of peaceful development and make positive contributions to the peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world.

The committee suggested that the two sides should maintain intergovernmental dialogue at all levels, enhance dialogues in security and defense, and consistently increase political mutual trust.

It called on the two sides to expand and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in economic and trade, investment, green and low-carbon development, energy efficiency and environmental protection, fiscal and financial issues, smart city, social security and medicare, high technology, and the improvement of business environment.

It believed that enhanced exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, science and technology, local affairs, media, youth and tourism will increase mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples and reinforce the social and public opinion foundation of bilateral ties.

The members of the two sides also praised the role of the committee in safeguarding the overall situation of Sino-Japanese relations, promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, and pushing for the improvement of bilateral ties.

They hoped that the two governments would establish a new committee at an early date, ensuring that this consultative body will continue to make contributions to the long-term, healthy and stable development of bilateral ties.

Taizo Nishimuro, the top Japanese member of the committee composed of diplomats, business leaders, professors and journalists, also attended the press conference.