"Melting the ice" requires some "heat" from Japan

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is scheduled to arrive in Japan on Wednesday to "melt the ice" between China and Japan. This is China's move to improve Sino-Japanese relations after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "ice-breaking" visit to Beijing last October.

It is well known that the main reason for chilly relations between China and Japan was former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. The aim of Shinzo Abe's China visit was to correct his predecessor's mistake and improve bilateral relations. Chinese people and the government were very positive about Abe's action.

The two countries have agreed to build a strategic Sino-Japanese relationship for mutual benefit. With such a goal in mind, Premier Wen Jiabao's forthcoming visit will be even more significant, according to Gao Hong, a researcher at the Japanese Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Gao Hong thinks that Premier Wen's "ice-melting" visit to Japan will help eliminate additional obstacle to a closer relationship between the two countries. Both Chinese and Japanese leaders will need be sincere and make politically wise decisions. They need to apply some more "heat" so that the "ice" can melt completely. Gao Hong believes that "melting the ice" will be a difficult process because there a still a lot of issues to be dealt with in Sino-Japanese relations, such as different attitudes towards historical issues and ownership of natural resources in the East China Sea. The two countries are however clearly preparing for greater economic and energy cooperation. However, there are still a small number of people in Japan who make irresponsible remarks. This is not in harmony with the ideals of the trip, nor conducive to improving bilateral relations.

Gao Hong says in his article for "People's Daily" that both China and Japan have their own core strategic interests and development road. China advocates the creation of a harmonious international order and peaceful East Asian environment while insisting on its political ideology and fundamental principles. The idea of seeking similarities while maintaining differences in politics, seeking cooperation without eliminating competition in trade, developing and moving forward while holding onto their own cultural traditions and characteristics is in fact an application of the Confucius ideal of harmony while maintaining differences. As Japan is also part of East Asia, China hopes that it will understand the Chinese government and people's desire to strengthen their friendship and improve understanding through regular contact.

By People's Daily Online