Editor's Note: At a seminar sponsored by China Daily last week, leading researchers on Japan studies analyzed current Sino-Japanese relations and offered their opinions on how to improve and develop bilateral ties. The following are some of their thoughts. 

When meeting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Indonesia on April 23, President Hu Jintao, who was there attending the Asia-Africa Summit, proposed five points on improving and developing Sino-Japanese relations.

First, friendly and cooperative Sino-Japanese relations orientated toward the 21st century should be developed on the basis of the three political documents, namely, the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship and the Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration.

Second, the issue of history should be taken seriously by adhering to the principle of "taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future." Japan should back up its remorse on wartime aggression with action and deal with historical issues in a serious and prudent manner.

Third, the Taiwan question should be handled properly.

Fourth, the differences between China and Japan should be dealt with through dialogue and negotiation on equal ground.

Lastly, friendly non-governmental exchanges and cooperation should be further enhanced to strengthen mutual understanding, expand common interests and develop a healthy bilateral relationship.

Hu's five points comprehensively explained the core of China's foreign policy toward Japan.

The first point stresses that both China and Japan should abide by the principle and spirit of the three basic documents, as they are the political basis for ensuring the healthy development of bilateral ties.

The second and third points are a further explanation of the first one by reiterating the principle of dealing with the issue of history and the Taiwan question, which are the most sensitive and important issues between China and Japan.

The fourth point spells out the proper way to handle problems existing between China and Japan, namely, the settling of differences and contradictions through dialogue and consultation rather than confrontation.

The fifth point is an effective way to ensure the healthy development of Sino-Japanese ties strengthening non-governmental exchanges and expanding common interests so as to reduce the negative impact of mutual contradictions.

Hu's five points reflect China's highly principled and stable policy toward Japan.

Adhering to the principle of the three basic documents and abiding by the political promise and treaties on the issue of history and the Taiwan question are the basic conditions for developing healthy bilateral ties between China and Japan.

After the "50-year-confrontation period" in modern history and the "20-year-Cold-War-isolation period" in the wake of World War II, Sino-Japanese relations were normalized in 1972. The normalization of bilateral ties was established on the basis of the political consensus on the two issues of history and Taiwan.

Denial of the political consensus is no different from going back to the situation before 1972, which means Sino-Japanese relations would suffer a setback of more than 30 years. This is a zero-win result for both China and Japan, which China is not willing to see. The Chinese government has consistently reiterated the guiding role of the three basic documents between China and Japan and emphasized the importance of abiding by the solemn political promises made on the issues of history and Taiwan.

Recent years have witnessed frequent Japanese moves violating the political consensus and principle of mutual agreements between China and Japan.

Koizumi has visited the Yasukuni Shrine for four consecutive years where Class-A WWII war criminals are honored. The Japanese government has approved a right-wing version of a history textbook that wantonly denies its history of aggression. And some high-ranking Japanese officials have from time to time made remarks denying war crimes such as the forceful recruitment of "comfort women."

The Japanese foreign minister proclaimed that the defense range of the Japan-US security treaty included Taiwan. The joint statement issued between foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the US also included content on interfering with the Taiwan question.

These moves have trampled on the spirit of a series of documents published jointly by China and Japan and China and the United States, seriously violated China's national interests and pushed Sino-Japanese relations to a stalemate of "cold politics."

The five points proposed by Hu are aimed at putting Sino-Japanese ties back on track.

Dialogue and consultation are the approaches that must be taken to settle the differences and contradictions between the two countries so as to improve bilateral political relations. And exchanges and cooperation are the best choices for expanding common interests and reducing mutual differences.

A solid foundation has been laid through exchanges in all fields and levels between Chinese and Japanese governments since 1972. The two countries have also become economically interdependent. The rapid development of non-governmental exchanges has made each side the intimate exchange partner of the other.

All in all, the comprehensive and sustained development of Sino-Japanese exchanges and cooperation is fundamental to pushing bilateral political relations towards historical conciliation.

(China Daily June 21, 2005)