Chinese and Japanese scholars have launched a joint historical study with the conclusion on Wednesday of a relevant two-day meeting in Beijing.

Each country appointed a 10-member team for the project. The Chinese team was headed by Bu Ping, director of the Institute of Modern History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The Japanese team was led by Shinichi Kitaoka, former deputy Japanese ambassador to the U.N and a professor with the University of Tokyo.

The second meeting of this kind will be held in March 2007 in Japan to continue discussions of historical issues.

At the just-concluded first meeting in Beijing, the two sides settled the work process, scope and topics for joint research, and discussed the 2,000 years of history of China-Japan exchanges and modern and post-World War II history in two groups.

The joint study of history would help both sides properly handle some related matters through dialogue and exchanges, and create a foundation for the bright future of bilateral relations, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

Source: Xinhua