China-Japan relations went through twists and turns in recent years

China-Japan relations went through twists and turns in recent years. Bilateral relations are improving with a fragile foundation. The two countries should keep a grip on the right direction of bilateral relations with a due sense of responsibility, said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang

Li met with Kishida in downtown Beijing on Saturday afternoon, after Kishida’s talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his meeting with State Councilor Yang Jiechi respectively

Li said China is willing, in the spirit of taking the history as a mirror and looking into the future, to make joint efforts with Japan to strengthen political mutual trust and promote bilateral relations back to the track of normal development

He stressed that no ambiguity or vacillation is allowed when it comes to the matters of principle concerning the political foundation for the normalization of China-Japan relations

The Japanese side should stick to the path of peaceful development, and match deeds with its words that China’s peaceful development is an opportunity, Li said

He urged Japan to really pursue a positive China policy, adhere to the four political documents between the two countries, and appropriately handle the sensitive elements having fundamental impacts on bilateral relations

The four documents refer to the China-Japan Joint Statement inked in 1972, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1978, the China-Japan Joint Declaration of 1998, and the joint statement on advancing strategic and mutually-beneficial relations in a comprehensive way signed in 2008

Premier Li said Japan should create a favorable atmosphere for the gradual resumption of bilateral dialogue and cooperation mechanism and the trilateral summit among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), and help improve the sentiment of people of each other and enhance people-to-people exchanges

China, Japan and the ROK restarted the trilateral leaders’ meeting in last November, ending a period of diplomatic deadlock due to heightened regional tensions. The three countries take turns to host the meeting and this year the chair goes to Japan

Li also called on the two countries to strengthen cooperation in all areas to benefit the two peoples

Kishida said the Japanese side, in the spirit of the four political documents, is willing to adhere to the consensus with China that the two countries are each other’s cooperative partner rather than threats

He said Japan is willing to pay mutual respect, strengthen mutual trust, control disputes, and advance the bilateral relations initiated by elder leaders of the two countries and build a Japan-China relations facing toward the future

Kishida spoke highly of China’s economic structural reform and voiced willingness for further comprehensive cooperation with China

During the talks with Kishida on Saturday morning, Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a four-point requirement on improving China-Japan ties

Firstly, in politics, Japan should stick fast to the four political documents between the two countries, face up to and reflect upon history and follow the one-China policy to the letter, Wang said

No ambiguity or vacillation is allowed when it comes to this important political foundation of bilateral ties, he stressed

Secondly, in terms of its outlook on China, Japan should translate into concrete actions its consensus with China that the two countries are cooperative partners rather than a threat to each other, according to Wang

Japan should take a more positive and healthy attitude to the growth of China and stop spreading or echoing "China threat" or "China economic recession" theories, said Wang

Thirdly, in terms of economic exchanges, the Japanese side should establish the concept of win-win cooperation, discard the outdated idea that one side cannot do without the other side, or one side depends more on the other side

Instead, Japan should enhance equal-footed and pragmatic cooperation with China based on mutual benefit, Wang said

Fourthly, in terms of regional and international affairs, the two sides should respect each other’s legitimate interests and concerns, and communicate and coordinate with each other in a timely fashion, said the minister

Japan should cast aside the confrontation mentality and work with China to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region, added Wang during the talks