Wen Jiabao: China, Japan must improve relationsSource: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-04/12/content_849305.htm Beijing and Tokyo must work together to build better relations for their offsprings, while trying to learn from a tragic past, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in a speech to Japan's parliament on Thursday. "History shows us that peace and prosperity between us is very important to the people of both nations," Wen said in his 40-minute speech. "We must cherish our long history of friendship, of more than 2,000 years, to ensure long-term mutual prosperity." Wen, 64, said China will cooperate to resolve a dispute with Japan over the development of natural gas in the East China Sea. China understands Japan's desire to play a bigger role in international affairs, he said. On the second day of his 3-day visit, the Chinese leader said Japan must reflect on its military past, a reference to Japan's invasion of Asia in the first half of the 20th century. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 52, visited Beijing in October, helping to mend ties frayed by his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi's visits to a Tokyo shrine that includes memorials to leaders convicted as major World War II war criminals. "There was a short period of Japanese militarism that hurt China deeply," Wen said. "That period brought tragedy to Japan as well. Just like Prime Minister Abe's visit to China was an ice-breaking event, I hope my visit will be similar in its impact on improving relations." ... Wen praised the rise in trade between China and Japan, which has almost quadrupled in the last 10 years. Including Hong Kong, China is Japan's No. 1 trading partner with total trade exceeding $249 billion last year, up from $64 billion in 1997, according to the Japan External Trade Organization. "China-Japan trade cooperation benefits both sides," Wen said, adding that he and Abe "agreed to raise our cooperation to a higher level. We must cooperate in the trade of technology, energy, culture and intellectual property." ... Japanese investors have poured more than $53 billion in China in the past two decades, becoming one of China's largest groups of foreign investors. ******************* Wen gave an eloquent speech with all the right touches and "clapping points". This is a huge step forward for building up the relationship between the two countries. The question is, why now? If I recall correctly, it was just not long ago when the Chinese government allowed their people to protest against the Japanese. Since then, the Chinese keeps "regreting" on the Japanese visiting the Kozumi Shrine and the Japanese continues using the right-wing textbook that denies Japanese behaviour in the war. What leads to this turning point? I guess the last concluding sentence of the passage says it. The Japanese are one of the largest groups of foreign investors of China. For being a country of "socialistic market economy", the country is now more hungry for money than the pride of the country. | 
