Chinese President Hu Jintao kicked off his 5-day 'warm spring' trip to Japan on May 6th, with the aims to convey a friendly message and spring-like wishes to the neighbor and cement the ties between Asia's two economic giants.
President Hu's state visit to Japan, the first time in consecutive 10 years, has aroused the worldwide attention. Huntington, a noted scholar on international strategies, used to predict that 'the future peace and blessing of the East Asia will be depended upon the coexistence of China and Japan, and a common road they could seek to walk on hand-in-hand'. Huntington seemed farsighted when making the statements like that, as the two leaders, President Hu and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda were set on Wednesday to agree on a blueprint for future ties between the two neighborly countries.
The two leaders will agree that the China-Japan relationship is one of the most important bilateral relationships for both countries and that both countries have great influence on peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Both sides will agree that, in the long term, cooperation for peace and friendship is the only option for China and Japan.
China-Japan relationship has gone through many ups and downs in the past decade. Thanks to the joint efforts made in three phases, namely 'ice-breaking—ice-thawing---spring-ringing', both sides have eventually reached consensus on establishing 'the relationship of mutual benefit and cooperation based on the common strategic interests'. In the strategic perspective, the 'warm spring' trip by the Chinese president will serve as a landmark in the progress of the bilateral relations, marking a fresh starting point to further develop the relations; and will also work as an engine to drive and propel forward the bilateral ties.
Today's China-Japan relationship, if considered in the perspectives of space and time, is not only a product of the historical necessity but of the persevering efforts from both sides as well. Historically speaking, China and Japan have never been in the same position of development, which can be envisaged by looking into the historical facts that the ancient Chinese civilization used to breed and cultivate the culture of islands in the Japanese territory, and the facts in modern times of the Japanese-launched invasion war into China in addition to the Chinese national awareness triggered by the war. The post-war ideological disparity further estranged the geographically neighbors, in addition, the fact that Japan has long followed suits of the U.S especially in handling issues on China would have possibly poisoned the relationship between the neighbors, making them neighborly but confronting rivals.
With the end of the Cold War, the world structure has been reshuffling and super powers have been restructuring the relationships between each other. China and Japan, for the first time in history, began to observe each other standing on a new height and realize that there will be a tug of war in national strength, as an old saying goes, 'when Greek meets Greek then comes the tug of war'. The governments on both sides can not help but weigh on the agonizing issue: would it be like diamond cut diamond when the two confronted?
In a departure from the Cold War mentality that views China's rise as a threat, the far-sighted personages on both sides decided to set aside rifts and disputes and help push forward the bilateral relationship onto a sound track. Both leaders will agree to strengthen cooperation on important international issues such as climate change, energy security, environmental protection, poverty and infectious diseases; and cooperate in several areas for sustainable growth of the world economy; in addition, they will further deepen understanding concerning the shared culture that has been nurtured through long exchanges.
As the lines of a poem by Lu Xun go, that we remain brothers after all the vicissitudes, let's forgo our old grudge when smiling we meet again. Today's China-Japan relationship exactly and vividly answers this description.
Admittedly, the two neighborly giants in East Asia will have to face up to the existing conflict and confrontation seen in their respective national strategic interests, and the fact that the legacies left by history, in a tangle with interests in reality, cannot be settled overnight. Therefore, both sides need to abandon the Cold War mentality, establish a sincere atmosphere of political mutual trust, and gear for the future. The people of both sides need to forgo the past grievance, and then they could meet with a smile and keep smiling to each other. On this basis, the neighborly ties between China and Japan would steer clear of chills and be always bathed in warm spring.
By People's Daily Online
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article