Special Report: President Hu Visits Japan　

    TOKYO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday expressed China's readiness to work with Japan to achieve new progress in developing the strategic and mutually beneficial bilateral relations and made a five-point proposal on furthering the ties.

    Delivering a speech at the Waseda University, Hu said that standing on the new historical threshold, China-Japan relations are facing new opportunities for further development.

    The Chinese government and the people sincerely hope to work with the Japanese side to reinforce mutual trust, enhance friendship, deepen cooperation and plan for the future to usher in new prospects for the overall growth of the strategic and mutually beneficial relations with Japan, Hu added.

    The Chinese president said that to boost the long-term healthy and stable development of China-Japan relations and to develop the friendship of the two peoples from generation to generation, the two sides should continue to increase mutual understanding.

    During his speech, Hu made a five-point proposal for furthering China-Japan ties.

    Firstly, he said, the two countries should strive to enhance mutual strategic trust, which is fundamental for stable relations among countries.

    As important countries in Asia as well as in the world, China and Japan should make an objective judgment on each other and treat each other as cooperative partners for a win-win result, rather than competitors of a zero-sum game, Hu said.

    Efforts should also be made to boost their mutually beneficial cooperation, he said, adding that China and Japan should cherish the sound pattern formed through many years of economic and trade cooperation and give a better play of their mutually complementary economies with huge potential for cooperation.

    The Chinese president elaborated on the importance of expanding cultural exchanges, saying personnel and cultural exchanges serve as bridges for boosting understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

    Hu expounded on the need for more coordination and cooperation between the two countries for a more prosperous Asia.

    China is willing to work with Japan and other Asian nations to push forward regional and sub-regional cooperation, improve common security, safeguard peace and stability in Northeast Asia, promote the process of cooperation and integration in East Asia and achieve the common development of China and Japan through efforts to build a more prosperous Asia, he said.

    Hu also proposed joint efforts to deal with global challenges.

    China is willing to work with Japan to take an active part in all kinds of international cooperation, enhance the capability to deal with challenges and push forward the great cause of peace and development of the humanity, he added.

    In his speech, the Chinese president reaffirmed China's adherence to the path of peaceful development.

    China will continue to progress along the path of peaceful development, which is a strategic choice made by the Chinese government and people, Hu said.

    The Chinese president said the friendly ties between China and Japan were seriously damaged by Japan's imperialistic aggression against China, which lasted from the 1930s to 1940s.

    During that unfortunate period in history, the Chinese nation suffered grave disasters, and the Japanese people also fell victim to the war, he said.

    History is a most philosophic textbook, Hu said, adding that his emphasis on remembrance of history is not meant to let hatred linger on, but is aimed at ensuring that the two nations may take history as a mirror to look forward to the future and cherish and maintain peace so that the two peoples can live in friendship and peace generation after generation.

    On the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese president said the Chinese people seek to enhance the Olympic spirit of peace, solidarity and friendship through the Beijing Games.

    Hosting a successful Olympics is the sincere wish of all Chinese, Hu said.

    It is also the wish of the Chinese people to enhance understanding and friendship among people of different countries through the Games in August, he added.

    That is why China has chosen "One World, One Dream" as the slogan for the 2008 Olympic Games, Hu said.

    Hu arrived here Tuesday on a five-day statement visit to Japan, the first by a Chinese head of state in a decade.