China-Japan relations deemed important, further cooperation expected: survey

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-11 21:53:45|Editor: Li Xia

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TOKYO, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Most people in China and Japan continue to view the Sino-Japanese relations as important and hope the two countries to enhance cooperation so as to achieve common development, a survey released on Thursday showed.

The survey was conducted by China International Publishing Group and Genron NPO, a Japanese non-profit organization, with valid responses from 1,548 Chinese residents and 1,000 Japanese citizens.

Some 74 percent of the Chinese respondents said they believe that bilateral relations are "important" or "very important," while 71.4 percent of the Japanese respondents hold the same view.

Regarding a question designed to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the majority of both the Chinese and Japanese respondents said that they support the article in the treaty that stipulates that the two sides should develop durable relations of peace and friendship on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

Some 70.4 percent of Chinese respondents and 63.4 percent of Japanese respondents said that they are in favor of the two sides enhancing cooperation in bilateral and regional affairs.

Meanwhile, 45.1 percent of Chinese respondents said bilateral ties are currently in a "very bad" or "bad" situation, down 20 percentage points from last year, while 39 percent of Japanese respondents hold the same view, down 6 percentage points from 2017.

Territorial disputes, maritime resource conflicts and historical disagreements remain major obstacles to bilateral relations.

With regards to improving ties, the most preferable solution among Chinese respondents was to solve the long-standing disagreement over historical issues, while more Japanese respondents prefer the solution of boosting trust between the two governments.

The survey is an annual project of the Beijing-Tokyo Forum, which is scheduled to open in Tokyo on Oct. 14. Founded in 2005, the event will have hundreds of guests and representatives from China and Japan attending this year.