The repatriation of 1.05 million Japanese immigrants from China after World War II was marked Sunday in Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan and former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama addressed a forum on China-Japan relations, a part of the activities marking the 60th anniversary of the repatriation.

"The fact that Chinese and Japanese gathered here today to review history and look forward to the future shows our resolution to cherish peace, oppose war and promote friendship," Tang told an audience of nearly 500 Chinese and Japanese at the forum.

Murayama appreciated the efforts made by the Chinese people during the repatriation while addressing the forum.

"Although people in Huludao, as well as people in other parts of China, suffered from Japan's aggression crimes in the war, they took great care of the immigrants from an enemy nation and tried their best to help them return home," said Murayama, who served as Japanese Prime Minister from June 1994 to January 1996.

"The repatriation demonstrated the munificence and humanitarianism of the Chinese people, so quite a few Japanese are deeply grateful for the repatriation," said Murayama.

Tang said the commemorations were of "great historical and realistic significance".

In recent years, China-Japan relations had met with serious political obstacles, which the Chinese government and people as well as Japanese people did not like to see, Tang said.

Sino-Japanese relations had been soured by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan's war dead, including 14 convicted class A war criminals in WWII, were honored.

The leaders of the two countries halted exchange visits following Koizumi's homage at the war shrine soon after he took office in 2001.

Tang urged the Japanese leaders to make right decisions to "remove the political obstacles and get the bilateral ties back on track".

The sound development of China-Japan ties was in the fundamental interests of the two peoples and met the common expectations of the international community, Tang said. "We hope Japan can view bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term perspective and make joint efforts with China.

"Japan should hold a correct view of history and properly handle the Taiwan question, which constitute the political basis of China-Japan ties," Tang said.

Murayama reiterated his statement on Aug. 15, 1995, marking the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II: "During a certain period in the not too distant past, Japan, through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations."

In the statement, Murayama made a clear apology for Japanese crimes before and during the war and expressed deep remorse. He also stressed the need for the country to "convey to younger generations the horror of war" so that they would never repeat the mistake.

"Although the Japanese government has repeated its remorse over the past 10 years, it is more important to act on the words and handle relations with China and other Asian countries with a serious attitude," Murayama said.

"Strengthening understanding and forming bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation between China and Japan will be indispensable for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia," he said.

The forum was sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Liaoning provincial government.

Later on Sunday afternoon, Murayama said China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) were not alone in their protest against the Japanese leaders' and Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro's visits to the shrine. Many Asian nations, though in different ways, opposed the visit to the Tokyo-based Shinto shrine.

The Japanese people were also opposed to the leaders' visits, Murayama said, adding that the United States has also warned Japan to handle the issue cautiously.

Exchanges between Japan and neighboring countries dated back more than 2,000 years, and Japan's current relations with China and the ROK were "abnormal" in an historic context, he said. "The situation should be changed as soon as possible."

"I believe that the situation will change after the leadership election in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September," Murayama said. Koizumi's term as LDP president will expire in September and the new president will replace Koizumi as prime minister.

Following the forum, Tang and Murayama joined nearly 1,000 Chinese and Japanese in laying the foundations for a park where the Japanese immigrants started their journey back home 60 years ago.

The 10-hectare park, which will include two exhibition buildings and a repatriation monument, is intended to be a symbol of China-Japan friendship and world peace.

On May 7, 1946, nine months after Japan surrendered to the Allies, about 2,500 Japanese immigrants, victims of their country's colonial expansion, began their voyage home from Huludao, marking the beginning of a repatriation effort that lasted until 1948.

Source: Xinhua