BEIJING, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday extended condolences over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama.
In a message to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Xi also extended sympathy to the family of Murayama.
Depicting Murayama as a Japanese politician with a strong sense of justice and an old friend of the Chinese people, Xi said that he had long been committed to the cause of China-Japan friendship.
In 1995, then Japanese Prime Minister Murayama delivered a formal statement on historical issues, acknowledging and profoundly reflecting on Japan’s history of aggressive wars and colonial rule, and apologizing to the victim countries, he said.
The spirit of « the Murayama Statement » should be upheld, said Xi, voicing hope that Japan will work with China, learn from history, look to the future, and safeguard the political foundation of bilateral relations in a joint effort to advance the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit in an all-round way. ■
