On the sidelines of a downturn in China-Japan relations, Chinese experts appealed for China to learn more about Japan.

The third round of China-Japan Strategic Dialogue is being held in Beijing from October 14 to 17, providing a channel for communication between the two sides.

"The strategic dialogue can help deepen the understanding between the two nations, which is far more important than achieving agreements," said Yao Wenli, a Japan scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

But Yao said Japanese knowledge about China is much deeper than Chinese knowledge about Japan. Japan has many research institutes on Chinese studies, with many researchers coming to China for field work.

Professor Zhou Yongsheng from China's Foreign Affairs University said Japan's China research has obtained reports on the economic status of every Chinese city. This enables them to predict development trends in the Chinese economy.

Experts have a universal opinion that the Chinese pay much more attention to macroscopic events such as Sino-Japanese relations, historical problems in Japanese studies, than to the detailed analysis and understanding of the history, society and culture of Japan.

The lack of a thorough study of Japan not only limits Chinese academic discussions but also brings parochialism and bias.

"Chinese study should focus on Japan's developments after World War II," said Ma Junwei, a scholar from China's Modern International Relations Institute. "Japan is now transforming its development goal from a powerful economic country to a powerful political country."

Japanese foreign affairs ministry invited Chinese reporters based in Japan to join a seminar on October 7, and it also decided to hold regular policy-making dialogues to discuss the foreign policy with China, signalling the Japanese government's desire to create rapport with China.

China and Japan held strategic dialogues in Beijing in May and in Tokyo in June. This third round is the first high-level strategic dialogue between China and Japan since Koizumi Junichiro resumed his position as Japanese prime minister.

Shotaro Yachi, head of the Japanese delegation to attend the strategic dialogue, said upon arrival that the third round focuses on comprehensive dialogue, and "The problem of the Yasukuni Shrine and gas fields in the East China Sea are not on the agenda of the dialogue, but the two sides will exchange views on these issues if China wishes".

Source: Xinhua