China hopes Japanese govt., leaders to make active efforts to improve bilateral ties: FM spoksman

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday that China hopes the Japanese government and leaders will make active efforts to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples so as to improve bilateral ties.

It is the first comment China made on the result of the Japanese election of House of Representatives.

The Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro led his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a success in Sunday's lower house election.

"No matter which party or leader won the election, China hopes its neighbor could contribute to the development of the bilateral ties", Qin said at a routine press conference here.

He said China would continue to stick to the political principles set forth in the three important bilateral documents and actively promote the development of the relationship between the two countries in a spirit of reflecting on the past while looking into the future.

He also reiterated that the five proposals on developing China-Japan relationship put forward by Chinese President Hu Jintao during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro in Jakarta in April, saying that China's stance on developing Sino-Japanese relationship would always be consistent and clear-cut.

Qin said that China has noted that Koizumi had expressed his intention on various occasions to apologize and reflect on the invasive war waged by Japanese militarists.

"How the Japanese will view and handle the historical issues and the Taiwan issue is a significant political basis for China and Japan to step up bilateral relations and has an important influence over the emotions of the Asian people, in particular the emotions of the Chinese people" Qin said.

"China will listen to the words of the Japanese side and watch its actions, hoping Japan can translate its words into real actions", Qin stressed.

Qin reiterated China's firm opposition against the Japanese leaders' visit to the Yasukuni Shrine and the revision of Japanese history textbooks, saying these key issues were vital in forming the political basis of bilateral relations.

Source: Xinhua