Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan Tuesday urged Japanese
leaders to adopt a "correct" attitude towards the aggression of
China in the 1930s and 1940s.
"We think the Japanese leaders should have a correct attitude
towards the Japanese militarist invasion and should take concrete
action to prove their commitment," said Kong at a regular
briefing.
Kong was responding to the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on April 21. The shrine,
where some Class-A Japanese war criminals of World War II were
worshipped, has been regarded as a symbol of Japanese
militarism.
"Japan should make adequate retrospection on its history of
invasion as it has promised, so as to win the trust of the people
in China and in Asia and the international community," said
Kong.
Kong's remarks echoed those made by President Jiang Zemin on Monday
during his meeting with visiting head of Japan's Komei Party
Kanzaki Takenori. Jiang said Koizumi's move has "seriously hurt the
feelings of Chinese and Asian people and has inevitably aroused
grave concern and strong indignation."
Kong, during Tuesday's briefing, added that China attaches
importance to its ties with Japan and pledged that China is willing
to develop Sino-Japanese
cooperation based on the principle of "taking history as a mirror
and looking forward to the future."
Concerning Japan's investigation of a sunken ship in the East China
Sea, the spokesman said Chinese law-enforcement ships are already
patrolling in the relevant waters according to the law and other
relevant regulations in China.
Kong said on Monday that China has decided not to object to Japan's
under-water investigation, but added that China will supervise
Japan's investigation according to international and national
laws.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,
countries, during their activities in the exclusive economic zone,
should take into consideration the rights and duties of the zone's
coastal country and follow relevant laws and regulations while the
coastal country should also consider the rights and duties of other
countries.
Kong said China is also entitled to the same right of investigation
in the Japanese exclusive economic zone.
Kong also briefed the press on the foreign ministers' meeting of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow last Friday.
The foreign ministers from China, Russia, Kyrghyzstan, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan exchanged their views on the regional and
international situation and the development of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization.
(China
Daily May 1, 2002)