Chinese FM calls for efforts to bring China-Japan ties back on right track

BONN, Germany - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during a meeting here with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Friday, urged efforts from both countries to bring bilateral ties back on the right track.

Wang and Kishida met on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty (G20) ministerial summit in Germany's western city of Bonn.

Wang noted that 2017 and 2018 respectively mark the 45th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japan diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan.

He said both countries should take the opportunity of these anniversaries, draw on past experiences on their relations, and work to consolidate the political foundation for bilateral ties, in a bid to bring bilateral ties back on the correct track.

Wang stressed that there are now both opportunities and challenges for improving China-Japan relations. He said the continous, negative moves made recently by Japan regarding major sensitive issues have caused disturbances to the improvement of bilateral ties.

He said only when Japan honors its commitments and adopts a responsible attitude, thus preventing the occurrence of incidents damaging the political foundation of the China-Japan ties can there be real improvement in relations.

Kishida said 2017 is a vital year for the China-Japan relations, expressing the Japanese side's willingness to handle differences between both countries well. He said Japan would work to make events marking the 45th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japan ties a success, giving a boost to the improvement of bilateral ties.

Saying Japan attaches importance to the major concerns raised by China, Kishida reiterated Japan's stance of not supporting claims of "two Chinas," "one China one Taiwan," and not supporting "Taiwan independence," saying the stance would not change.