BEIJING: Mutual trust and cooperation are key to promote relations between China, US and Japan, said Chinese ambassadors to the US and Japan during an interview with People’s Daily at the two sessions.
Positive development
“The healthy and stable development of China-US relations lies in how to effectively control disparities, rather than having no disparities,” said Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US and a member of the National Committee of the 12th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Cui said that China-US relations had made positive developments and new strides in 2014. For example, top leaders of both countries held small-scale, flexible and deep discussions over the past year, mainly on bilateral relations, regional and international affairs.
China and the US also expanded their cooperation in 2014, such as the US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change published in November, and China-US investment treaty negotiations.
The bilateral investment treaty is an important issue for China and the US, noted Cui, adding that the treaty will provide “an effective and reliable legal basis for future China-US economic and trade relations.”
“President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the US in September at the invitation of his US counterpart, which will be one of the year’s highlights for the bilateral relations,” Cui predicted.
Mutual trust
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 10, 2014, which Cheng Yonghua, the ambassador to Japan and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, considered a landmark event in China-Japan relations.
Three days before their meeting, China and Japan reached a four-point agreement. “The four-point agreement reaffirmed that the two sides will follow the principles of the four political documents signed and will further improve bilateral ties. However, mutual trust between China and Japan is far from enough. We hope that Japan will keep its promise, as well as follow the four political documents and the four-point agreement,” Cheng said.
China and Japan will hold security talks on March 19, their first in four years. Cheng revealed that during the meeting, China will declare its independent foreign policy, demand that Japan face China’s development objectively and rationally and not hype the “China threat.”
China will also raise concerns about the Japanese military and urge Japan to be committed to peaceful development.
Past victories
China will hold activities in 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
“Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression played an important role in the World Anti-Fascist War, and China was the main battlefield on the eastern front. Chinese fought the longest and made the greatest sacrifices, which have still not won their due recognition and attention. I hope this year’s commemorative activities can change that,” Cui said.
Cheng added that the anniversaries are also an opportunity for Japan to face history and move forward in building mutual trust with China.
Future relations
“We hope that relations between China, US and Japan will be mutually promoted, rather than regarding one country as an imaginary enemy. We also hope to avoid a zero-sum relationship,” Cui commented.
Cheng suggested that China, US and Japan should build positive interaction. “Like what I always said in Japan, it is an outdated notion that Japan can contain China with the help of the US. That is Cold War mentality. It is time to think about how to enhance cooperation and mutual trust.” (People’s Daily)
