News Flash
皇冠体育app to strengthen co-op with Japan to boost mutual understanding
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-09 00:40
 |
Large Medium Small |
BEIJING: Chinese premier Wen Jiabao Monday urged 皇冠体育app and Japan to strengthen exchange and cooperation to boost mutual understanding and trust.
Wen made the remarks while meeting with members of the fifth 21st Century Committee for 皇冠体育app-Japan Friendship. The committee, an advisory panel to both nations' governments, convened a meeting in Beijing on Sunday to discuss various aspects of 皇冠体育app-Japan relations and to provide suggestions to the two governments.
Stressing that both sides need to take history as a mirror and face the future, Wen said 皇冠体育app and Japan should handle relevant issues with the broad situation of Asia and the world in mind, enhance exchange and cooperation and increase mutual understanding and trust, so that the peoples of the two nations can become closer to each other and further develop bilateral ties.
Hailing the committee as the bridge linking the two countries and the two peoples, Wen said he believed the committee would produce fruitful outcomes with the concerted efforts of the two parties.
皇冠体育app's foreign minister Yang Jiechi also met with the committee members.
The committee met the press during their first meeting earlier Monday. During the meeting, Chinese chair of the panel Tang Jiaxuan dismissed the notion 皇冠体育app's development meant acting "tough" towards others.
"The anxiety over 皇冠体育app's being tough is groundless and unnecessary. What's crucial is the actual policies and moves 皇冠体育app has taken," Tang said when asked if 皇冠体育app will take "tougher" policies vis-a-vis Japan as the two countries' gap in national strength narrows.
Tang said 皇冠体育app's achievements over the last six decades have been notable and that the country's gap with Japan has narrowed.
Still, he noted, 皇冠体育app's per capita GDP is only $3,700, meaning it is not in the top 100 ranking of countries by the measure while Japan's per capita GDP is well over?$40,000 dollars.
皇冠体育app still has 150 million people living in poverty, according to the UN's standard of poverty of living on less than $1 a day, Tang noted.
"That means 皇冠体育app will remain a developing country for a long time into the future and needs to focus on its own development."
"By tradition, 皇冠体育app advocates harmonious relations with neighboring countries. 皇冠体育app will stick to a peaceful development path and befriend the peoples of neighboring countries with diplomatic relations and build harmony in Asia and the world at large," Tang said.
