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Thursday, 8th May 2008
In General Japan News,
China and Japan herald new cooperation
China and Japan have marked the historic visit of Chinese premier Hu Jintao to Tokyo by signing a "future-oriented" joint statement that will bind the two countries more closely together.
Marking the first state visit to the Japanese capital since his predecessor Jiang Zemin in 1998, Hu joined forces with Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda to pledge greater cooperation between the neighbouring countries.
A key facet of the statement was its refusal to involve Japanese acknowledgement of its WWII role in China, with the pledge instead focusing on exploring "a new phase of bilateral relations".
The statement in fact endorsed Japan's 60 years of pacifist policy, even involving an expression of Chinese respect for Japan's role within the United Nations and its aspirations to a seat on the permanent security council.
Furthermore, the statement saw China commend Japan's proposed sector-specific approach to tackling greenhouse gas emissions, as the two countries committed to active involvement in fighting global warming after 2013, when the Kyoto protocol expires.
Visits will now be made each year between the leaders of Japan and China, according to the new agreement.
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