Solemn spring pledge

When President Hu Jintao began his ongoing visit to Japan on Monday, some people and media commentaries still cast doubts on how China and Japan should relate to each other and on what were in store for the future of the bilateral ties.

The joint statement that President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda signed on Wednesday should help clear most of the doubts as the two countries solemnly pledged all-round promotion of their strategic and mutually beneficial relations.

This promise has not come about easily as the relations between the two countries have experienced highs and lows with mutual confidence ebbing to the lowest point just two years ago.