From May 6 to 10, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao, at the invitation of the Japanese government, paid a state visit to Japan. On the plane back to China, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi who accompanied President Hu during the visit accepted interview of journalists.

Yang said that it is the first visit of Chinese head of state to Japan 10 years later after the last visit. President Hu, during the visit, met with Japanese Emperor, held fruitful talks with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, held meetings with speakers of both houses of parliament, leaders of major Japanese political parties and old friends and contacted extensively the economic leaders, heads of friendship organizations, youth and the public of both countries. President Hu attended 55 activities within a short period of 5 days.

Attaching great importance to the visit of President Hu, the Japanese government made high-level receptions with great hospitality. Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yohei Kono attended many events of Hu's itinerary and the Japanese people from all walks of life welcomed President Hu with great enthusiasm and made highly positive comments on the visit. With an intense schedule and being pragmatic and efficient, the visit has achieved fruitful results and reached the desired goals.

I. Outlining the blueprint of China-Japan relations and pointing out the direction of future development. During President Hu's visit to Japan, the two sides issued the Joint Statement on Comprehensively Pushing Forward the Strategic and Mutually Beneficial Relations between China and Japan. Carrying on the principles of the original 3 political documents, defining the guiding principles for the long-term development of bilateral relations and planning for the future growth of bilateral ties, the statement is the 4th important political documents between China and Japan. It is of great significance to consolidating the political foundation of bilateral relations, enhancing strategic mutual trust, building an overall framework for the long-term, healthy and stable development of China-Japan ties and deepening bilateral strategic and mutually beneficial relations. The Joint Press Communiqué on Strengthening Exchanges and Cooperation between the Chinese and the Japanese Governments was also released, covering 70 bilateral cooperation projects.

President Hu stressed during the visit that China-Japan relations have built a solid foundation for further development and stand at a new historical starting point. Against the background of accelerating economic globalization and regional integration, China-Japan relations are more strategic and have greater global influence than ever before. China and Japan should make joint efforts and take opportunities to push the bilateral relations to high levels. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said that as countries with great influence in Asia and the rest of the world Japan and China should enhance mutual understanding and trust, strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation, make joint contributions to Asia and the world at large and create a bright future for both countries. The two sides agreed that China and Japan are partners and constitute no threat to each other, support the peaceful development of each other and solve the existing issues between the two countries through dialogue and negotiations. They decided to increase the high-level exchanges and political contacts, establish the exchange of visit mechanism and launch the hotline mechanism between the leaders of both countries, strengthen the exchange and dialogue mechanism of governments, political parties and parliaments of both countries and continue with the dialogue and exchanges in the fields of security and defense.

II. Deepening the mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation and consolidating the physical foundation for China-Japan relations. This year marks the 30th anniversary of China's reform and opening up efforts and the past 3 decades have witnessed the in-depth development and expansion of China-Japan economic and trade relations. The development of both countries is interwoven with each other. President Hu emphasized that China and Japan are one of the most important trade partners of each other. Both economies should complement with each other and open new key cooperation areas and bright spots to push for qualitative takeoff of China-Japan trade relations and bring more benefit to their people. President Hu stressed increasing cooperation in energy saving and environmental protection and called for active participation in the regional development process of China, boosting the cooperation of businesses of both countries and stepping up cooperation in regional and global economic affairs. The visit witnessed tangible outcome of bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy saving technology, sewage disposal and recycling city development. The two countries agreed to push forward bilateral cooperation in such fields as finance, information, trade, investment, small and medium-sized enterprises and intellectual property rights protection, effectively use the bilateral high-level economic dialogue mechanism from a strategic perspective, continue dialogue at the ministerial level on energy policy and discuss the mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy sector.

III. Strengthening personnel and cultural exchanges and consolidating the social foundation for China-Japan relations. President Hu pointed out that China-Japan friendship at bottom is the friendship between the two peoples and the most effective and reliable way of increasing the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples is to expand the bilateral personnel and cultural exchanges. Delivering an important speech at Waseda University, he said sincerely that youth is the vital new force for China-Japan friendship and the future of bilateral friendship rests on the youth of the two countries. He called for joint efforts to disseminate the seeds of China-Japan friendship and carry on the banner of the friendship from generation to generation. The earnest words of Hu aroused enthusiastic responses from the audience. After the speech, President Hu attended the opening ceremony of Japan-China youth friendly exchange year and exchanged opinions cordially with the youth of both countries, which helps increase the understanding and friendship of Japanese youth with China.

During the visit, President Hu also met with the kin of China's old Japanese friends, relatives of statesmen and the members of the 1984 3000-Japanese delegation to China, fully recognized the contributions of the old-generation of Japanese friends to promoting China-Japan friendship and encouraged them to carry on the tradition to make continuous contributions to the bilateral ties. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Hu extended appreciation to the Japanese friends who had promoted China-Japan relations and friendship, which deeply moved their relatives and kin who vowed to carry on the will of their predecessors and make active efforts to boost the bilateral relations and push forward China-Japan friendship, especially the exchanges of youth of both countries. Sonoda Tenkoko, wife of former Japanese Foreign Minister Sonoda Sunao, despite at senile age, is committed to pushing forward the calligraphy exchanges of youth between China and Japan. The Japanese friends not only make personal efforts but also encourage their offspring to promote China-Japan friendship. Such a sincere feeling well demonstrates the keen aspiration and active efforts of the Japanese people to promoting China-Japan relations.

When visiting Masasuke Shimizu, founder of Matsuyama Ballet Troupe which had friendly exchanges with the three generations of Chinese leaders, President Hu was warmly welcomed by all the performers of the troupe. The warm faces, the sincere hellos and the familiar melody and elegant dances made everyone present at the meeting feel the deep friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people.

During the visit, President Hu stressed that the Beijing Olympic Games belongs to the Chinese people, the Asian people and people all over the world. China would host a high-level and unique Beijing Olympic Games. The Japanese people from all circles indicated expectation for the Beijing Olympic Games, extended sincere wish to the event and expressed will to offer support and cooperation to the Games.

President Hu declared that China agreed to cooperate with Japan on the outdoor setting free of crested ibis and offer a pair of panda to Tokyo Ueno Zoo for joint research, which was warmly hailed by the Japanese people.

IV. Expanding consensus in regional and international affairs and enhancing cooperation. President Hu noted that Asia's rejuvenation needs the coordination and cooperation between China and Japan. Both countries should focus on Asia to increase strategic coordination and cooperation, push forward the establishment of Northeast Asia peace mechanism, East Asia community and Asian regional cooperation, make joint efforts for Asia's rejuvenation, cope with global challenges and push for the building of a harmonious Asia and world. Both sides determined to maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia, move forward the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, boost East Asia cooperation and build a peaceful, prosperous, stable and open Asia in the principle of openness, transparency and tolerance. Yasuo Fukuda noted that Japan and China had the responsibility of making efforts for peace and development of Asia and the world at large. To that end both countries should constantly build up understanding, mutual trust and reinforce cooperation.

Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on climate change and environmental protection and make it a new growth point of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. They confirmed to actively participate in building an effective international framework to cope with climate change after 2012 within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and the Bali Roadmap and issued a joint statement on tackling climate change.

Yang finally said that President Hu's warm spring visit to Japan opened a new chapter for China-Japan strategic and mutually beneficial relations and was a big success.

People have good reason to look forward to the long-lasting China-Japan relations as warm as spring.