Japan expects Hu’s visit to achieve important progress

BEIJING—Japan expected Chinese President Hu Jintao’s upcoming visit to achieve “important progress”, said Japanese Upper House senator Oishi Masamitsu during the second meeting of the China-Japan regular legislative exchange mechanism.
The two countries conducted their second regular lawmakers’ meeting here on Wednesday, conferring on important bilateral topics including food security, energy, environmental protection and intellectual property rights. Lu Yongxiang, vice-chairman of China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee, co-chaired the meeting with Oishi Masamitsu, who led the Japanese delegation for the meeting.
Both sides spoke highly of the regular legislative exchange mechanism that was launched in October 2006 to cement overall bilateral ties. Lu said he believed that the two countries now face an important opportunity to further develop ties as Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to visit Japan this spring, following Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s China trip last year.
“The regular exchange mechanism conforms to the new situation of bilateral ties, and it has become a participant to build China-Japan strategic, mutually beneficial relations,” Lu said. Oishi Masamitsu said the two countries reached consensus on several issues during Yasuo Fukuda’s China trip at the end of 2007. The Japanese Upper House is ready to contribute to the sustained development of bilateral ties.
He added that the Japanese Upper House would make efforts to prompt the Japanese government and people to earnestly face and reflect on history and improve understanding between the two countries. The Japanese lawmakers also wished the 2008 Olympic Games complete success.
Both sides pledged to use the exchange mechanism as a platform to increase political trust and facilitate bilateral cooperation to benefit people. The third meeting under the exchange mechanism is scheduled to be held in Japan next year.
Visiting Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said on Thursday that the upcoming visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Japan scheduled in this spring would bring a new phase to the Sino-Japanese ties. Looking into the future, the Sino-Japanese relationship is standing at a new historic threshold and is facing wide space for development, Tang said at a reception organized by the Chinese embassy.
President Hu’s upcoming state visit bears great and far-reaching significance in pushing forward the continuous development of the Sino-Japanese ties and bringing a new phase to the bilateral relationship, Tang said. The Chinese side would like to take the opportunity of President Hu’s visit to draw with the Japanese side a blueprint for the development of the Sino-Japanese relationship in the future and to establish a new framework for the healthy and stable development of the bilateral ties in the long term.
Ikuo Hirayama, president of the Japan-China Friendship Association, said in his speech that people from all circles of Japan, who are gratified to see the improvement and development of the Japan-China relationship, are warmly looking forward to President Hu’s Japan tour and believe the visit will help construct stronger bilateral ties. Tang arrived in Tokyo late Wednesday for a four-day visit at the invitation of the Japanese government.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Sunday that Japan is committed to further enhancing its relations with China.—Xinhua