On May 24, 2001, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka on the sidelines of the third Asia-Europe Meeting, during which Tanaka emphasized that the new Japanese cabinet will handle issues related to Japan-China relations strictly in line with the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement.
 
Extending welcome to Tanaka, Tang told Tanaka that China and Japan are both important countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the development of relations between the two will exert vital impact on the two countries, Asia and the world as a whole. He added that the three generations of Chinese leaders have attached importance to Sino-Japanese ties that has been manifested in President Jiang Zemin's important speech on May 20 of last year. Premier Zhu Rongji' also did a lot of work for the sound development of the bilateral ties during his visit to Japana. He said the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties is not up to China alone, and should be the result of concerted efforts by the two sides on the basis of the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the Sino-Japanese Treaty on Peace and Friendship, and the Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration.

Tang also elaborated China's position on current issues related to bilateral ties.
 
On the history textbook issue, Tang said the essence of the issue is whether Japan can take correct approach to its history of aggression and what historical point of view will be adopted to educate Japanese younger generations. The Japanese side should adopt concrete measures to correct its wrongdoings concerning the history textbook and erase negative impacts arising therefrom.

On the issue of Lee Teng-hui's visit to Japan, Tang demanded that Japan realize the severity, harm and sensitivity of the issue and prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future.
 
On the issue of visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, Tang stressed that Japan should take into account the feelings of the people of Asian countries, who were subject to Japanese militarist aggression, and learn from lessons in the 1980s and the 1990s when the issue greatly impaired Japan’s relations with its Asian neighbors. He added that Japan's new cabinet should adhere to its recent declaration of "enhancing international coordination" and sincerely honor its solemn commitments of looking squarely at and introspecting Japan’s history.
 
Tanaka recalled her trip to China while accompanying her father, Kakuei Tanaka, former Japanese Prime Minister, saying that she is very happy to make Beijing her first destination of foreign visits after she assumed the post of Japanese Foreign Minister. She added that she is willing to make more contributions to the friendship between China and Japan and the Japanese new cabinet will develop Sino-Japanese ties on the basis of the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement.
 
While pained by the textbook issue, Tanaka said the new cabinet will honor the commitments made by former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995 about recognizing and introspecting Japan’s history of aggression and sincerely respond to China's demands concerning the textbook issue. She said that she won't visit the Yasukuni Shrine and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has no intention of beautifying the war of aggression ignited by Japan in history. On the question of Taiwan, Makiko Tanaka said Japan fully understands China's stand that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and Japan will prudently handle relevant issues including Lee Teng-hui's visit to Japan strictly in line with the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement.