Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guang)
TOKYO, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The biggest goal of the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship is to pass on peaceful and friendly relations between the two countries and jointly build a good bilateral relationship, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told Xinhua in a recent interview.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the treaty of peace and friendship between China and Japan. On Oct. 23, 1978, Takeo Fukuda, Yasuo Fukuda's father and then prime minister of Japan, and Deng Xiaoping, then Chinese leader, attended the ceremony for the exchange of instruments of ratification of the Treaty for the Treaty to officially enter into effect.
Yasuo Fukuda, serving as his father's secretary at the time, was present and witnessed the ceremony. "It can be said that I am also a witness to the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship."
The Treaty stipulates in legal form that China and Japan shall adhere to peace, friendship and cooperation, not interfere in each other's internal affairs, not seek hegemony, and oppose the establishment of hegemony by any other country or group of countries.
To pass on peaceful and friendly relations between Japan and China is the biggest goal of the Treaty, Yasuo Fukuda said, adding that in order to achieve this goal, various problems may be encountered, and the two countries should work to overcome difficulties and jointly build good relations.
In 2008, the two countries issued China-Japan Joint Statement on All-round Promotion of Strategic Relationship of Mutual Benefit. Yasuo Fukuda was the Japanese prime minister at the time.
Since the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in 1972, two of the four political documents signed by the two countries are closely related to the Fukuda father and son.
In this regard, Yasuo Fukuda noted that the four political documents have stipulated principles to be followed in the relations between Japan and China, and "we must always bear them in mind and cannot go back."
"Geographically, Japan and China are neighbors and have very close cultural ties. Both sides must abide by the spirit of the political documents and avoid conflict in the future. This is the mission of both Japan and China," he said.
Noting that this year also marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, Yasuo Fukuda said that Japan and China have since then established close cooperative relations. The two countries have helped each other and achieved mutual benefit, which is in line with the long-term interests of both countries.
Yasuo Fukuda served as chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia from 2010 to 2018, during which he witnessed China's continuous opening-up and rapid economic development. He expressed optimism about China's economic prospects.
Yasuo Fukuda also lauded the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying that the BRI is a vivid practice of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity. ■
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guang)