Keep big picture in mind, say experts on Sino-Japan ties

Forum participants call for nations' leaders to begin mending fences with their neighbors

A panel of Chinese and Japanese experts at Sunday's Beijing-Tokyo Forum characterized their own country in the years ahead in remarkably similar terms: democratic, peaceful and prosperous.

But both sides harbored suspicions about the other's motives.

That's why it's important to keep the big picture of the relationship in mind, the panelists agreed, and to be open and honest.

"It is important that we make no bones about our own country - both merits and demerits," said Zhao Qizheng, former minister of the State Information Office of the State Council and also dean of the School of Journalism of Renmin University of China.

A majority of people get only a glimpse of the other country through indirect channels such as movies, TV programs and newspapers, Zhao said.

Ichiro Aisawa, a member of Japan's House of Representatives from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, recommended that lawmakers from the two countries resume making exchange visits this fall.

The reciprocal visits of members of Japan's parliament and China's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisery body, were "of great significance" for lawmakers in the two countries because they helped provide "a correct understanding of each other", Aisawa said.

Wu Jianmin, vice-chairman of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, maintained that China benefited from the peaceful environment in Asia as it has experienced rapid development over the past 30 years.

China has followed on the heels of Japan and the "four small dragons" - Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore - and the Association of Southeast Asian nations, Wu said.

"Cooperation between the two countries helped China's economic rise," Wu said. "We can't let the relations degrade further."

Former Chinese ambassador to Japan Chen Jian criticized Abe for taking China as a threat and attempting to "contain" China in his globe-trotting diplomacy.

"China does not have any intention to invade another country to expand and acquire a sphere of influence," Chen said.

Wu added: "We need to open our eyes for both common interests and differences. We have more common interests than differences. It is the reason that we are confident in the future. Don't just complain. That does not help build trust."

Japan is anxious to arrange a meeting between Abe and President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing in November.

"Don't expect too much out of the Xi-Abe meeting," Chen said. "It is naive to take the meeting as a cure-all for the problems in the bilateral relations."

A lot of work should be done between the foreign ministries of the two countries before the two leaders meet, he said. First of all, China and Japan must solve the problems in their relations to pave the way for a meeting of their leaders.

Yoriko Kawaguchi said the two countries need to work out how to create conditions to improve matters.

"More communications should be done. The distrust they have for each other won't disappear overnight," he said.

caihong@chinadaily.com.cn