By Tao Wenzhao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-12 07:17

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda signed the China-Japan Joint Statement on Advancing the Strategic Relationship of Mutual Benefit last Wednesday during Hu's state visit to Japan. This is the fourth political document the two countries have inked after the China-Japan Joint Communique of 1972, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1978 and the China-Japan Joint Declaration of 1998.

This latest document clearly indicates the China-Japan relations have entered a new phase of development. The guiding principles contained in it have pointed out the direction for the bilateral ties to proceed in the new era and expanded the horizon for cooperation. I find three aspects in the document particularly significant.

It devotes quite some space to elaborating on the issue of enhancing strategic mutual confidence between the two countries. Some of the terms in it are clearer than before, while some others are new. It states in affirmative and unmistakable terms the two countries support each other's peaceful development.

Premier Wen Jiabao said clearly in his address to the Japanese parliament during his visit to Japan in April last year that China supports Japan's peaceful development. This time the Chinese side puts in the joint document its endorsement of Japan's contribution to world peace and stability by following the track of peace and playing the role of a peaceful nation in six decades since the end of World War II.

Meanwhile, following the path of peaceful development is also one of China's strategic decisions. Chinese leaders have reiterated this principle on many occasions at home and abroad in recent years.

This is a solemn pledge China has made to the world and clearly stated it again in the China-Japan joint document this time. The Japanese side has given its acknowledgement of China's remarkable development since the start of the economic reform and opening-up and the enormous opportunities it has presented to the rest of the world. It also expressed support for China's wish to build a world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

The joint document has also confirmed with no ambiguity that the two countries are partners in cooperation and pose no threat to each other. Since the mid-1990s, the world has heard the "China threat theory" every now and then and this writer believes such accusations against China will recur in one form or another as long as China continues to develop.

Sometimes the "China threat theory" stems from suspicions about China's strategic intent and sometimes it reflects a kind of psychological imbalance caused by China's development, but at other times it is simply made up by people who deliberately spread such notions in order to hamper China's development.

Japan is the second largest economy in the world, while China is developing fast. Both countries are growing into world-class powers in their own right. It is a simple fact there is a certain amount of competition between the two neighbors. If handled well, such competitions can enhance their bilateral ties. Otherwise they might come between the two countries with negative effects. The new joint statement has made it clear China and Japan are strongly inclined to keep their bilateral relations in the right direction and realize mutual benefit and win-win results.

On the still-unresolved issue of East China Sea the two sides have also expressed their willingness to work together to make the East China Sea an area of peace, cooperation and friendship. All these pledges are of very positive significance to the long-term development of bilateral ties between China and Japan.

Another key feature of the new joint document is a broad plan for the development of bilateral economic and trade relationship. China and Japan have been key partners to each other in economic and trade exchanges since the former began the reform and opening-up process. Japan was China's top trading partner between 1993 and 2003. China became Japan's largest trading partner in 2007, when bilateral trade value between them topped $236 billion.

Today Japan is China's No 1 source of imports and fourth largest export market. The two countries' economies are highly complementary as Japan has a wealth of advanced technology and equipment that China needs to satisfy its growing domestic market. The bilateral economic and trade ties not only helped Japan end its decade-long stagnation but also boosted China's modernization. Cooperation between the two countries in economy and trade has become a major cornerstone of their bilateral relationship.

The joint document emphasizes the two countries need to step up cooperation in the areas of energy resources and environment, which is an obligation we are expected to fulfill for the sake of our posterities and the international community. Japan is a country short on natural, and especially energy, resources. For this reason Japan has found a way out by building up its technological strength. Japan is now a frontrunner in energy-saving and environmental protection technology in the world with its energy consumption per unit of GDP among the lowest among all nations of the world.

China, meanwhile, is changing its economic growth pattern, which has to be energy-efficient sooner or later, but still has many hurdles to overcome. Cooperation between the two countries in energy conservation and environmental protection is bound to become another highlight of bilateral economic and trade ties and will no doubt leave a lasting legacy for the future not just of the two nations but of the regional and the world economy as well.

The last two points of the joint document focus on increasing cooperation between the two nations in regional and global affairs. China and Japan are both in Northeast Asia, where regional peace and stability have a direct bearing on their national security. The two countries are also key players in the region with a great deal of responsibilities on their shoulders in terms of maintaining regional stability.

The joint document stipulates China and Japan will keep close communication over regional affairs and strengthen coordination and cooperation, such as their cooperation in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula within the framework of the Six-Party Talks. The two sides have stated in the joint document they will continue such cooperation.

Regarding the characteristics of the new era, the joint document acknowledges China and Japan will assume greater responsibilities for world peace and development in the 21st century, with the Chinese side formally expressing its hope to see Japan play a more constructive role in international affairs.

It also lists a number of areas where the two countries should cooperate, with particular emphasis on the United Nations-led global efforts to deal with climate change.

Admittedly, the bilateral relations between China and Japan are never worry-free, as differences and issues manage to surface every now and then. That said, the two sides can overcome any obstacle and enhance their strategic relationship of mutual benefit as long as they follow the above-mentioned principles.

The author is a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

(China Daily 05/12/2008 page4)