China, Japan agree to maintain stable relations

China and Japan have agreed to maintain communication to prevent isolated incidents from affecting bilateral relations, as Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met with Yoshifumi Tsuge, Japanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing on Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily press briefing that the two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern, reiterating their stance on promoting and developing China-Japan relations.

During their meeting, Sun and Tsuge also discussed a tragic incident in which a 10-year-old Japanese boy was fatally stabbed last week while walking to school in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Lin said both sides appreciated each other’s efforts to handle the incident in a proper and calm manner. Noting that the case is still under investigation, he said China will continue to provide assistance to the boy’s family in handling issues related to the problem.

After the incident, many people – the vast majority of whom were local Chinese residents – went to the school gate to lay flowers and express their condolences, Lin said, adding that such gestures demonstrated collective opposition to violence and conveyed the hope that the friendship between the two peoples will continue for generations.

The spokesperson reiterated his “regret and sadness” over the incident, and stressed that the way local residents expressed their grief over the Japanese boy’s death reflected the Chinese people’s respect for life.

“China will, as always, treat its foreign friends with courtesy, sincerity and equality, and do its best to protect the lives and property of all foreign citizens in China,” he said.

Lin stressed that China’s goal in advocating history learning is not to perpetuate hatred, but to prevent the tragedy of war from happening again, cherish the hard-won peace and hope for a better future.

China is willing to work with Japan to comprehensively advance the strategic and mutually beneficial ties based on the four political documents between the two countries, as well as promote a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, Lin added.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa are reportedly set to meet in New York this week.