Senior ruling party officials from China and Japan met in Beijing on Monday afternoon, hoping to repair worsening bilateral relations.

 

Senior Japanese officials from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komei Party are in China to attend the first meeting under the China-Japan Ruling Parties Exchange Mechanism being held in Beijing from February 21 to 22.

 

In a meeting with a Japanese ruling alliance delegation co-headed by Hidenao Nakagawa from the LDP, and Yoshihisa Inoue from Komei, Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said China hopes that Japan will take concrete measures to eliminate the obstacles in the further development of bilateral ties.

 

Li said China-Japan relations are at an all-time low since the two countries normalized diplomatic links in 1972. 

 

Li said that at the heart of the current tense state of affairs is Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's insistence on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine that honors committed World War II war criminals.

 

Nakagawa said as two prominent countries in Asia, both Japan and China shoulder major responsibilities for peace and stability in Asia and the world.

 

It is important that the two countries carry out political dialogue in a spirit of equality, Nakagawa said, adding that Japan is willing to work towards the healthy and stable development of Japan-China relations. 

 

Inoue said that the Komei Party holds the Japan-China friendship in high regard and it is within the interests of the two countries and conducive to development and stability of Asia and world peace to further develop those ties. 

 

Li expressed the hope that the two sides will abide by the principles of the three political documents they signed. He called for them to draw lessons from history and look forward to the future so as to truly realize peaceful coexistence, friendship through the generations, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development.   

 

Nakagawa and Inoue are the highest-ranking Japanese officials to visit China in the last two years.

 

The Japanese delegation leaves for Japan on Thursday night.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2006)