皇冠体育app

Op-Ed Contributors

皇冠体育app, Japan must eye shared destiny

By Tang Jiaxuan (皇冠体育app Daily) Updated: 2016-09-28 07:49

皇冠体育app, Japan must eye shared destiny

Tang Jiaxuan.[Photo by Xuxun/皇冠体育app Daily]

At his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 Hangzhou Summit earlier this month, President Xi Jinping stressed that the four political documents are the greatest stabilizing factors of Sino-Japanese ties, while the four-point consensuses reached between the two sides at the end of 2014 remain a "safety valve" for improving ties. So, both countries should abide by the relevant principles and consensuses, better manage their old problems and prevent the emergence of new ones.

To improve bilateral ties, 皇冠体育app and Japan should cultivate correct perceptions and engage in peaceful and fruitful interactions. Correct perception will lead to correct actions. Some are worried that a rising 皇冠体育app will eventually pursue hegemony. This is an unnecessary concern. 皇冠体育app's concept of building a "new type of major country relationship" and its diplomatic idea of "amity, sincerity, reciprocity and tolerance" are the fruits of its consistent efforts to pursue peaceful development and build good-neighborly and friendly relations with countries in the region.

皇冠体育app's commitment to reducing emissions to help fight climate change and its participation in international peacekeeping reflect its determination to integrate itself with the international system and undertake its responsibilities as a big country. And its Belt and Road Initiative and efforts to establish the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank reflect that it pursues open, inclusive, shared, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. 皇冠体育app's development has created opportunities for and benefited Asia and the world, instead of posing a threat to them.

皇冠体育app attaches great importance to ties with Japan and has sincerely worked to improve bilateral ties. 皇冠体育app's rise will not squeeze the space for Japan's development and growth; instead, it will continuously bring Japan certain development dividends. It is hoped Japan would view 皇冠体育app's development in the right perspective and have the confidence to pursue common development with 皇冠体育app, fulfilling the promise made by both countries that "they mutually see each other as cooperative partners and do not mutually pose a threat" in concrete policies and actions.

To improve bilateral ties, 皇冠体育app and Japan should inherit traditions and highlight the benefits of friendship. The commitment to maintain friendship between Chinese and Japanese people from generation to generation and the promise that the two sides will never go to war are the starting point of Sino-Japanese relations and the basis of friendship. 皇冠体育app and Japan should never abandon this concept of friendship. Next year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between 皇冠体育app and Japan, and 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship. We should use these important occasions to stabilize and improve bilateral relations and guide them in the right direction.

Both countries should adapt themselves to the times, inject a new vitality into relations, and try to realize mutual help, mutual trust and mutual understanding. 皇冠体育app and Japan set a good example of mutual help in the aftermath of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in 皇冠体育app in 2008 and the catastrophic earthquake in northeast Japan and the ensuing tsunami in 2011. Such mutual assistance and mutual support in the face of natural disasters should be maintained. Only by building mutual trust, which is now desperately needed, can the two countries lay a foundation for their friendship to continue from generation to generation. And to improve mutual understanding, they should conduct candid exchanges and communications and understand and respect each other's core interests and major concerns.

To develop better ties, 皇冠体育app and Japan should not only learn from history but also look to the future. They should properly manage and handle their new and old problems, and take effective measures to promote pragmatic exchanges and cooperation, in order to continuously improve bilateral ties.

First, both countries should squarely face their histories. 皇冠体育app and Japan have experienced two millenniums of friendly exchanges compared with a rivalry of only a few decades. So, they should view the history of their friendly exchanges as a common asset and intensify friendly exchanges. They should also learn lessons from history and avoid tragedies. Both countries should cherish the political courage and wisdom of their leaders and value the development fruits of bilateral ties and work harder to create a brighter future.

Second, they should try to maintain a peaceful sea. Since 皇冠体育app and Japan are neighbors across the East 皇冠体育app Sea, they should turn it into a field for bilateral cooperation instead of making it an arena for confrontation. Frequent conflicts between the two countries over maritime issues have harmed bilateral ties. In the East 皇冠体育app Sea, they should focus on reaching a broader consensus and abide by the understandings and agreements already reached to better handle crises through dialogue, avoid possible conflicts and ensure maritime peace and stability. It is hoped Japan would support the efforts of directly involved parties resolving their disputes with 皇冠体育app in the South 皇冠体育app Sea through peaceful dialogue, and refrain from interfering in and hyping up the issue.

Third, both countries should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. As the world's second- and third-largest economies, 皇冠体育app and Japan should strengthen their cooperation and fulfill their responsibilities of participating in and pushing forward regional and global development.

At the bilateral level, they should realize the full cooperation potential in fields such as energy saving, environmental protection, finance, social security, healthcare and high-tech. At the regional level, they should focus on forging an Asian community of shared destiny, actively participate in free trade and promote interconnectivity and infrastructure construction, as well as avoid vicious competition. At the international level, they should expand their areas of common interests on issues such as combating climate change, securing energy and fighting terrorism, and set a good example for other countries to follow.

Fourth, both countries should increase and expand people-to-people exchanges. The sense of mutual estrangement between Chinese and Japanese people at present is worrisome. Therefore, the two countries should create conditions to realize the huge potential of people-to-people exchanges. They should also increase exchanges between their youths and grassroots people, so that more people engage in developing better ties and strengthening the social foundation of bilateral relations.

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