On December 27, 2006, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met with scholars attending the first meeting of the Chinese and Japanese committees for joint historical study.

The launch of the joint historical study is a consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, Li said, hoping that the committee members from both sides will make joint efforts to conduct candid exchanges in a manner of seeking truth from facts so as to gain an objective understanding of historical facts and fulfill this arduous yet glorious task.

The committee members from both sides vowed they will advance the joint historical study according to the consensus reached by the two governments.