Launching a new era in China-Japan relations

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda signed the China-Japan Joint Statement on Advancing the Strategic Relationship of Mutual Benefit last Wednesday during Hu's state visit to Japan. This is the fourth political document the two countries have inked after the China-Japan Joint Communique of 1972, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1978 and the China-Japan Joint Declaration of 1998.

This latest document clearly indicates the China-Japan relations have entered a new phase of development. The guiding principles contained in it have pointed out the direction for the bilateral ties to proceed in the new era and expanded the horizon for cooperation. I find three aspects in the document particularly significant.

It devotes quite some space to elaborating on the issue of enhancing strategic mutual confidence between the two countries. Some of the terms in it are clearer than before, while some others are new. It states in affirmative and unmistakable terms the two countries support each other's peaceful development.