China has the sincerity for improving relations with Japan, and hopes Japan could show the same sincerity to help create favorable conditions for the improvement of bilateral ties, State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in Beijing on Monday.

"As long as the two sides can properly handle historical and Taiwan issues, the political foundation of the Sino-Japanese relationship would be consolidated, the bilateral ties would be furthered, and the cause of Sino-Japanese friendship would be improved in a comprehensive way," said Tang during a meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Machimura Nobutaka.

Welcoming the Japanese foreign minister to visit China at "a difficult time for China-Japan relations", Tang pointed out that the Japanese side had "repeatedly failed the trust of the Chinese people" and had been "driving on a reverse gear" on issues like history and Taiwan in recent years.

"This has done damage to the friendly relations between China and Japan, as well as to the friendly sentiments between the two peoples, which are the hard-won results of painstaking efforts by the older generations of political leaders of both countries," lamented Tang.

"Such a result is not in the interest of China, neither of Japan," said Tang, who urged Japan to "seriously review" what it had done and to take concrete measures to correct its doings.

Tang said China and Japan were close neighbors and both were countries of significant influence in the world. "Therefore the two peoples should be friends for one generation after another, which conforms not only to the fundamental interest of both countries, but also to the need of peace and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world."

"This should be a fundamental stand for the two governments and people from all circles in both countries to adhere to while examining and handling bilateral ties," Tang added.

The Chinese state councilor went on to say that the Chinese government was committed to stabilizing, improving and developing relations with Japan, based on the three political documents accepted by both countries and in the spirit of "learning from history and facing up to the future".

Nobutaka said during the meeting that he had come to visit withthe hope to help improve Japan-China relations, and that Japan was clearly aware of China's strong concerns over issues like history and Taiwan.

There was no change of Japan's attitude of remorse on the history issue as expressed by former Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi in 1995, and no change of its stance on the Taiwan issue as clearly written in the three political documents between the two countries, said the minister.

"Japan does not support 'Taiwan's independence'," he said.

The minister said that Japan hoped to cooperate with China in awide range of areas, including the hosting of the Olympic Games, and would make utmost efforts to push forward the relationship between the two countries.

Editor: Olivia