Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Japan, the first of a
Chinese premier to Japan in seven years, is of great importance to
bilateral cooperation, said Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing at a press
conference?on Tuesday.
He made the remarks on the sidelines of the Fifth Session of the
Tenth National People's Congress (NPC), China's top
legislature.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of
bilateral diplomatic ties, and the two sides should grasp this
important opportunity to well handle?the fundamental political
issues concerning bilateral relationship and to expand and deepen
exchanges and cooperation, Li said.
"Lasting friendship between the peoples of China and Japan is
the path we should stay firmly on and no one can stop us from doing
this," Li said.
The foreign minister also called on Japan to face up to history,
take the responsibility, and seriously view and properly handle the
issue of "comfort women."
It is a historical fact that "comfort women" issue is a serious
crime committed by the Japanese troops during the World War II,
said Li.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that Japan
would not offer any new apology over the wartime sex slavery issue
after he told reporters that "there is no evidence to prove there
was coercion" exercised over the foreign women.
It is estimated that during World War II, some 200,000 Asian
women were forced to serve sex slaves of the Japanese Imperial
Army. Surviving comfort women have demanded apology and
compensation from the Japanese government.
(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2007)