BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday said that for Japan, the pressing task is to correct the erroneous words and deeds of its leaders on the Taiwan question as soon as possible.
Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Takeshi Iwaya, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT) in Beijing.
Wang said that the JAPIT has been committed to the cause of China-Japan friendship since its establishment, especially when China-Japan relations face challenges and damage, it still upholds friendly beliefs towards China and safeguard the political foundation of bilateral ties.
Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, Wang said that Japan is once again facing the test of history. If Japan refuses to learn from historical lessons, challenges the post-war pacifist Constitution, denies its history of aggression or glorifies war criminals, it cannot face the world and there's no building a future to speak of.
Next year marks the 55th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. What matters is to adopt a correct attitude on historical issues. Fundamentally, Japan needs to develop an objective and rational perception of China, he added.
It is hoped that the JAPIT and all insightful people will carry forward the tradition of friendship, push Japan to make the right choice and deliver a satisfactory answer, Wang said.
Iwaya said that the current state of Japan-China relations is concerning. The JAPIT will carry forward the legacy of its former president Yohei Kono and work to bring bilateral relations back to the original intent and starting point of the four political documents between Japan and China.
He said Japan should not forget the lessons of the past, and Japanese politicians must steer the country in the right direction and remain firmly committed to the path of peaceful development. ■
