China-Japan ties should benefit East Asia peace

China and Japan should work together to promote common security so as to inject "positive energy" to East Asia, a former UN official said at the Ninth China-Japan Forum in Beijing on Saturday.

Chen Jian, former deputy secretary general of the United Nations, made the remarks at the security dialogue portion of the forum.

Yang Yi, former director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at the PLA National Defense University, speaks at the Ninth China-Japan Forum in Beijing, Oct 26, 2013. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

The current China-Japan relationship is right now "at a dangerous crossing," Chen said. "There has got to be a break for the souring bilateral ties."

"China and Japan should become two engines to boost regional development," added Yang Yi, former director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at the PLA National Defense University.

"China and Japan should learn from the reconciliation between Germany and France, who were historical enemies and are now both leaders of Europe," said Yang.

Tokyo is embroiled in tensions with Beijing over territory and history, while the Abe administration has been beefing up Japan's military and the Japan-US alliance.

"China-Japan relations are as important as theJapan-US alliance", said Yamaguchi Noboru, a professor at Japan Defense University.

"If Japan could be happy to serve as a "bridge" between China and US relations, it would be a win-win result for the three countries," suggested Chen Jian.

Zhang Tuosheng, a researcher at the China Foundation for International Strategic Studies, also holds that dialogues between China, Japan and the US could improve China-Japan ties.

Experts at the dialogue finally agreed resuming talks is the most urgent measure to prevent escalating tensions between the two countries.

"The Diaoyu Islands dispute should be solved through diplomatic talks, not by military means," said Li Wei, director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Other than military exchanges, China and Japan can also promote cooperation in nontraditional areas, such as on the peacekeeping task force in Sudan, according to Yamaguchi Noboru.