Hu Jintao meets old friends in Japan - May 7

http://www.cctv.com/video/worldwidewatch/2008/05/worldwidewatch_300_20080507_...
http://www.cctv.com/english/20080507/100977.shtml
Hu Jintao meets old friends in Japan
WATCH VIDEO
Source: CCTV.com | 05-07-2008 08:27
Special Report: Chinese President visits Japan

Chinese President Hu Jintao continues his five-day state visit. It's a trip that's widely expected to build on a friendlier turn in relations. The President also took the opportunity to visit a few of his old friends.

The first visit to Japan in a decade by the highest ranking Chinese official.

Hu Jintao's trip has a friendly tone. The choice to travel to Japan in spring carries the notion of melting ice in two-way relations.

His schedule was carefully designed, as this meeting indicates.

Hu Jintao met with a group of former Japanese politicians, as well as some of their family members. Together they reviewed the efforts made in establishing two way relations thirty years ago. This footage shows some of these Japanese people or their ancestors participating in the historical moments.

Hu Jintao, Chinese President said "Your ancestors are honorable friends of China. They believed in the friendship between our two countries, and worked for the improvement of ties after the end of World War II. Today the two way relations have come to a new starting point, with new opportunities for development. I'd like to thank you and your family for your contribution in two way ties, and I hope my visit can create a new strategic and mutually beneficial relationship between the two sides. "

Later, Hu Jintao met representatives of a youth delegation, who visited China in the mid 1980s. During that visit, the Japanese delegation intrigued Chinese people with their cultural performances, and the Chinese hosts saved one of the delegates' lives from a serious disease.

Hu Jintao said "Your visit in 1984 helped us to improve and solidify our friendship. Over the years, our friendship didn't decrease, but it has deepened. I know some of you have been working to help Chinese students in Japan, some of you are still trying to enhance mutual understanding through cultural exchanges, and others are contributing their parts such as by working as a language teacher. "

The meetings concluded with the Japanese guests extending their best wishes that the Chinese President's visit will yield good results.

Hu Jintao is expected to meet Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Wednesday. Besides political topics, a ping pong game between the two is said to have been planned.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• China
• Japan

[cctvupload]

Sino-Japanese relation is very important if China want to rise as world superpower. After the cold war ended in earlier 1990's, US was so worried that Japan might drift away from the US alliance camp. It turned out Japan is getting much closer to US than before. That is a big victory on the US side to contain China. China mistakenly, in my view, used the historical issue to show its displeasure (remember, China single-handedly pulled Japan out from recession in 1990's).

[cctvupload]

Let's hope China will do it right this time. Now China is Japan's biggest trade partner and Japan has a handsome lucrative trade surplus from China for years. Instead of American national interests, it's time for Japan to think about its own national interests.

[pengxiangz]

The sino-japan friendship is the only way, for the future of both countries.

[bryanbhu]

I welcome this event wholeheartedly. I hope the circle of friendship will expand through the youth program. Politics makes a great progress when it is driven by friendship amongst the lay people. The other way around is the least constructive, where the macro politics drives your view; then we all start judging each other through the eye of politics, which usually degenerates into a brain dead battle of egos and hatred.

[fernandesfran]

Chinese will not easily forgive the Japanese because of the events of the past. Things are changing. Recently when I visited a small city in China, Guiyang, i saw some Japanese restaurants and Chinese people eating there. So, I think the healing has gradually begun among the younger generation. Peace can come through trade and people's friendly exchange, not through politics, as politicians do things to keep themselves in power in any country.

[4485lolo]

@DarkprinX2500 excellent point yet the japanese never seem to learn it’s like they are born within to be an ass kisser to the americans...they look down on their own asian neighbours and suck up to the west, pathetic...like most other asian countries as well...this gotta change and i hope you are right...i hope the US will fall and fall hard. can’t stand their hypocritical nosy attitude

[DarkprinX2500]

@4485lolo USA are the world's biggest meddlers.. they love to police the world.. and have a big ego.. they are now in a recession and borrowing from china.. they will collapse. Japan needs to wake up, the US effectively colonized their country with military bases.. disbanded their military for quite some time.. firebombed their cities during ww2 and dropped two nukes on their people. if that's not enough to make you hate someone what is. Japan stop being slaves of the colonialist West

[FXThug]

@Doraemonchina i am white

[Doraemonchina]

@FXThug: Vietnamese like you must shut your fucking shit mouth off!!!! 

[stevenge2]

I like both countries and hope they can get along well.

[kl9977gmail]

welcome Taiwan, not China.