Past imperfect but future far from tense--

Past imperfect but future far from tense(2)

2008-05-06 18:10:52 [ Big Normal Small ] 　Comment

Koizumi's successors Shinzo Abe and Fukuda, however, realized the gravity of the situation and refrained from visiting the shrine. Abe's first overseas visit as a prime minister was to China. Welcoming him in Beijing in October 2006, Hu said his "ice-breaking" visit would serve as "a turning point" in China-Japan ties. True to Hu's words, that visit helped elevate bilateral ties to a strategic level.

Wen paid a return and "ice-thawing" visit to Japan in spring last year, and became the first Chinese leader in 22 years to address that country's parliament. He told Japanese politicians to "remember and learn from the past" and hoped the two countries would establish a "win-win economic relationship".

Wen's visit was followed by Fukuda's to China, during which he touched on the sensitive subject of Japanese invasion and occupation of parts of China. Delivering a speech at Peking University, he said: "I believe we can prevent mistakes in the future only if we look at the past properly, and have the courage and wisdom to repent what we must repent ... Sino-Japanese Japan ties have never seen this kind of opportunity ... I want China and Japan to become creative partners in building a better Asia and world."

Late prime minister Takeo Fukuda signed a landmark friendship treaty with China in 1978. This time, his son Yasuo Fukuda is expected to ink a fourth joint document with Hu.

"I hope the document will map out the common strategic interests, and show the two nations and the world the enormous potential that China-Japan ties hold," Takahara says. "The document will help reduce the two sides' concerns over the uncertainty in bilateral relations."

Akashi believes Hu's visit will be a "genuine meeting of minds ... I hope that through candid discussions between their two top leaders, China and Japan will be able to expand the area of understanding."

The Chinese have always believed people can get a new insight if they review the past. Hu is expected to do that when he travels to Nara on the last leg of his Japan visit. The capital at Nara was modeled on Chang'an (Xi'an), China's capital during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). The Japanese upper class modeled itself after the Chinese in many ways during the Nara period (AD 710-784). For example it adopted the Chinese written characters (kanji) and embraced Buddhism.

Hu's visit to Japan comes after Fukuda's tour of China last year. The Japanese prime minister visited Qufu, the birthplace of the ancient philosopher Confucius, and thus put a seal of recognition on the Chinese culture's influence on Japan. It demonstrated"the common cultural background of the Chinese and Japanese peoples, too".

Sport and cultural events can help the two countries build a foundation of mutual trust, which is important for their "strategic mutually beneficial relationship".

"Sino-Japanese ties have reached a historical turning point," Akashi says. "More than 1,000 years of China's cultural superiority over Japan was followed by almost 100 years of the latter's political ascendancy, which ended in the most tragic conflict in 1945 Today, we face the challenge of building a new relationship based on genuine trust, equality and mutual respect. I am optimistic that ties between China and Japan will keep on expanding and become stronger. But we have to overcome petty rivalries and excessive nationalism on both sides," Akashi says.(China Daily)

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