Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, second from right, co-chairs a high-level political dialogue with visiting head of Japan"s National Security Council Shotaro Yachi, second from left, in Beijing on July 16, 2015. [Photo: Xinhua] China and Japan have held a high-level political dialogue in Beijing, the first such interaction since bilateral ties plunged to a low point over the Diaoyu Islands dispute.
 State Councilor Yang Jiechi opened the dialogue by stressing the important question of where the relationship between the two countries is heading. "China and Japan are two important countries in the world. Their bilateral relationship not only concerns the well-being of their people but also has an important impact on Asia and the whole world. Holding a high-level political dialogue to have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern is a significant move to strengthen our strategic communication." Gao Hong, deputy director with the Institute for Japanese Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the high-level talks are of even greater significance this time, as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. He explains that the China-Japan relationship has taken steps to improve, after four political documents signed by the two countries in November last year. However, the generally stable relationship is still kind of vulnerable. "There are things that may affect people with sensitive nerves, such as the fact that Abe may publish a talk about the war in August, as well as China"s large celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People"s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascists War. In this particularly sensitive moment, the high-level direct dialogue between two senior leaders is very necessary. " Yang Jiechi says China insisted on advancing bilateral links on basis of a four-point consensus reached during the last time meeting of the two officials. He urged further effort from the Japanese side. We hope that Japan will work with China towards the same direction, properly handle the sensitive issues concerning history, maritime issues, the military, security, and so on. We also hope both countries can continue to deepen exchanges in various fields and make efforts to promote continuous improvement and development of bilateral relations." During the talk, Yang Jiechi has also voiced concerns over the passage of security bills that will expand the role of Japan"s Self-Defense Forces. Yang made clear China"s stance on the issue and urged the Japanese side to earnestly draw lessons from history, stick to the route of peaceful development, respect the major security concerns of its neighbors and not do anything detrimental to regional peace and stability. The dialogue runs until Saturday. For CRI, I"m Niu Honglin. |
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