Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday urged Japan to properly treat its war time history with an eye to the future, and called for a halt to visits by Japanese leaders to a shrine honoring World War II criminals.

In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi after the conclusion of the 12th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Hu said Sino-Japanese ties should be strengthened and the leaderships of both countries should actively promote bilateral relations from a strategic point of view.

Sino-Japanese relations have made considerable headway since the two countries established diplomatic ties 32 years ago, Hu said, adding that cooperation in many fields have yielded fruits.

Today's bilateral ties are no easy achievement and should be highly valued and cherished by both sides, he said.

The development of a long-term friendly Sino-Japanese relations is of greater significance today than ever before, and the leaderships of both countries should keep their eye to the future and actively push for a steady and sound development of bilateral ties.

In order to achieve this, Hu put forward three guidelines:

-- Both countries should strictly abide by the three political documents signed by the two governments and promote exchanges and cooperation from a broad point of view and in the spirit of "taking history as a mirror and looking into the future";

-- The two sides should improve coordination and cooperation in regional and international affairs;

-- The two countries should enhance cooperation in energy, environmental protection and other areas, while continuing to deepen cooperation in trade.

Hu pointed out that the core problem staying in the way of the development of bilateral ties is Japanese leaders' visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo which honors convicted war criminals.

The Chinese government hopes the Japanese side will properly handle the issue and prevent bilateral ties from suffering unwanted damages, Hu said.

The longer the issue lingers, the more seriously it will hurt the feelings of the people of China and other countries which had suffered enormously during the Japanese aggression in the past, Hu said.

He said a statesman should take a responsible attitude toward the war time history and bear in mind the greater picture of forging friendly bilateral ties and contributing to peace and development in Asia.

Hu reiterated the Chinese government's stance on Taiwan and expressed his appreciation to the Japanese government's adherence to the one-China policy and pledge of non-support for "Taiwan independence."

Speaking on the same occasion, Koizumi said he is convinced that China's development is an opportunity rather than a threat, adding that this has been recognized by more and more people.

He said he hopes China keeps its growth momentum, which will be beneficial to Japan and the world as a whole.

The Japanese government attaches great importance to its relations with China and hopes to constantly promote the mutually-beneficial cooperation with China in various fields, he said.

Koizumi said he recognizes the importance of "taking history as a mirror" and considers it important to reflect on the war time history and to view the Japanese-Chinese relations in a historical perspective. Japan will never launch a similar war, he said.

On his visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, Koizumi said he understands China's stance on the issue.

The Japanese prime minister also reaffirmed Japan's commitment to the one-China policy and vowed not to support "Taiwan independence."

The two leaders also exchanged views on other issues of mutual concern.

Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A World War II criminals along with Japanese war dead since the mid-19th century. Koizumi has paid four visits to the shrine since he took office in 2001, with the latest one in January.

Despite strong protests from China, Koizumi insisted that he will continue the annual visit to Yasukuni shrine.

(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2004)