On the afternoon of August 9, 2003, Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, also the Chinese President, met with former Japanese Prime Ministers Ryutaro Hashimoto, Murayama Tomiichi, the incumbent Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda and representatives of a number of Japan-China friendship organizations, who were attending the 25th anniversary of the treaty of peace and friendship signed between China and Japan in 1978.

Hu extended warm welcome to all the Japanese personages who were attending the commemorating activities on behalf of the Chinese government and people. He also expressed his sincere appreciation to those dedicated to the cause of China-Japan friendship.

Hu said that the signing of the treaty is an epoch-making event in the history of the Sino-Japanese relations. The treaty for the first time codified in the form of law the general direction of peaceful co-existence and lasting friendship between the two countries, setting a solid political foundation for the development of Sino-Japanese relations. He said practice has proved that when both sides followed the principles of the three important documents governing bilateral relations, Sino-Japanese relations would develop smoothly, otherwise, the relationship would suffer setbacks. Hu said that both China and Japan should, more than ever, value their hard-won friendship, and be more aware of the historical responsibilities and the noble mission to promote Sino-Japanese relations when they review the history and lessons.

Hu voiced his earnest hope that people with far-sightedness of the two countries would take the opportunity of the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese treaty of peace and friendship to increase mutual understanding and mutual trust and help expand the cooperation and exchange of the two countries in all fields by focusing on the themes of peace and development, friendship and cooperation. He also suggested people of both sides playing an active role in appropriately handling concerns of each other to jointly create new situation of China-Japan friendship in the new century.

Hashimoto and other Japanese visitors all agreed with Hu’s views. They said that they were pleased to attend the activities to mark the anniversary, which were important for furthering the relations between Japan and China in the new century.

The visitors said that the Sino-Japanese treaty of peace and friendship involved painstaking efforts of statesmen of older generations of both sides, and the bilateral relations wouldn’t have been like this without them. They also said that the relations between Japan and China had maintained developing momentum over the past 25 years despite twists and turns, while bilateral cooperation has become even closer. They said they were confident of a bright future for Japan-China relations with the efforts of both sides.