China and Japan, two influential powers in the international arena, are close neighbors. Maintaining good bilateral relations are in the interests of both countries while soured ties will hurt each other.

The development of Sino-Japanese relations largely depends on Tokyo's attitude toward its wartime history.

China and Japan normalized their ties in 1972 after Tokyo adopted an introspective and apologetic attitude after World War II and showed its respect to the feelings of peoples that fell victims to the war launched by Japan's militarists.

Bilateral relations have been developed very fast in all areas over the past 30 years, bringing benefits to peoples of the two countries and making contributions to peace and prosperity in the Asian-Pacific region and the world as a whole.

By the year 2004, Japan has invested a total of US$66.6 billion in China and bilateral trade in that year alone amounted to US$167.8 billion. The two countries have also seen sound development in social and cultural exchanges. China and Japan also have close cooperation in regional issues, such as six-party talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula.

However, in recent years, right-wing political forces in Japan are becoming more active. They tried to reverse Japan's wartime history and change government policy on the Taiwan question.

Tokyo has failed to bring to a thorough account of the wartime crimes committed by Japan's militarist forces and provide their younger generations with a correct and unbiased education on its wartime history.

There has always been a hotbed in Japan that nourishes the right-wing forces to whitewash the country's wartime atrocities. It is regrettable that the Japanese government has adopted an attitude that enshields the right-wing forces and provided excuses for their attempts to distort history.

Japan's Education Ministry recently defied protests from other Asian countries by giving the green light to the revised middle school history textbook which blatantly distorted history and glorified Japan's invasion of its neighboring countries during the World War II.

Such discreditable moves have deteriorated Sino-Japanese ties and have also badly hurt peoples' feelings of its Asian neighbors. The practices will in return damage Japan's image in Asia and around the world.

In 1972, when Japan and China normalized diplomatic relations, the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai noted that Japan's invasion into China had not only brought disasters to the Chinese people but also caused huge sufferings for the Japanese people.

History proves that good relations between the two countries are beneficial to both while soured ties are hurting each other.

To achieve a win-win result, China and Japan should abide by the three basic documents on Sino-Japanese relations. The three documents are: the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, the Sino-Japan joint Declaration, and the Sino-Japan Statement.

As the late Chinese premier said, China and Japan should adopt a forward-looking attitude and make efforts to promote their friendship and ensure a healthy development of their relations.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2005)