Foreign and Military Affairs

Student told to have faith in Sino-Japanese ties

By Dong Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-31 07:09

Tokyo - A senior Chinese diplomat on Monday told a disappointed Japanese university student to have confidence in relations between their two countries.

"History will never be forgotten, but hatred cannot be left to the next generation," said Zhao Qizheng, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

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Zhao was speaking during a 60-minute question-and-answer session with about 160 Japanese college students at the sixth Beijing-Tokyo Forum in the Japanese capital.

During the dialogue, Japanese students raised questions ranging from Sino-Japanese ties, the Shanghai Expo and the future of Asia in the global market. But the conversation did not shy away from sensitive issues, such as insulting comments on Japan often found in some Chinese online communities.

Nakayama Masayoshi, a Japanese sophomore from Keio University who majors in law, did not hide his disappointment, saying some comments he found on Chinese websites "are too negative and hurt my feelings".

Zhao attributed this to the Japanese invasion of China and pointed out it does not mean the majority of Chinese people have negative feelings about Japan.

"I can assure you those unfriendly comments you found do not represent all Chinese people, the Chinese youth and mainstream opinion. Please have confidence in the future of Sino-Japanese relations," he said.

Masayoshi told China Daily that he had lived in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, for 15 years because his parents worked there and his family returned to Japan when he was 16.

With high expectations of the future between China and Japan, he wished the two countries could work together to help build a peaceful and prosperous East Asia.

"I'm preparing for the admission examinations of the Japanese foreign ministry. If I'm lucky, I'll come back to China as a diplomat," he said.

Zhao, best known as the voice of the Chinese government when he headed the State Council Information Office, was joined at the forum by former Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing and former Chinese ambassador to France Wu Jianmin.

The annual Beijing-Tokyo Forum, which serves as a platform for improving ties between the two countries, was co-founded in 2005 by China Daily and the Japanese non-governmental organization Genron NPO. The forum is alternately held in Japan and China.