Spokesman: Japan should observe its commitment - Xinhua

BEIJING, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Japan should observe its commitment as made in the four-point agreement that the two countries reached recently, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said here Saturday.

"We urge the Japanese side to live up to its commitment, show sincerity and take concrete action to maintain and implement the four-point agreement between China and Japan," Hong said in a press release.

Hong made the remarks in response to a written reply that the Japanese cabinet made on Friday on the issues of Diaoyu Islands and the Yasukuni Shrine.

Japanese Kyodo news agency reported on Friday that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the visit by the prime minister to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is among the "political difficulties" Japan and China have agreed to overcome. Kyodo said the cabinet made the remark in a written reply to Japan Innovation Party lawmaker Nobuhiko Isaka.

Hong said the Diaoyu Island and its adjacent isles have always been an inherent part of China's territories since ancient times, over which China owns indisputable sovereignty. He said the Chinese government has a firm and unchangeable will and determination to safeguard its national sovereignty and integrity of its territories.

"We demand the Japanese side stop all activities that undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Hong said.

"The Chinese side adamantly opposes Japanese leaders to visit in any forms the Yasukuni Shrine that honors A-class war criminals of the World War II and glorifies Japan's aggression war," Hong said.

The spokesman demands the Japanese side squarely face and thoroughly retrospect its history of aggression.

TOKYO, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shinzo Abe said on Friday that he will fight hard in a looming general election shortly after the dissolution of the parliament's lower house.

Abe said his decision to dissolve the lower house aims at letting the Japanese public to judge his choice to delay the second round sales tax hike, criticizing the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) only wants to increase its seats in the chamber rather than debating Abe's economic policies in the election. Full story

Chinese netizens maintain negative attitude to Japan: poll

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese netizens' negative attitude toward Japan and its government has remained unchanged despite Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent trip to Beijing to attend the 22th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

About 200,000 Chinese netizens responded a recent poll on the influence that Abe's Beijing visit has exerted on the China-Japan relations, which was jointly conducted by Xinhua International and www.qq.com. Full story

Spokesman: Four-point agreement crucial for improving China-Japan relations

BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The four-point agreement between China and Japan is an important condition for improving relations between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said Friday.

In response to Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida's Thursday comment that the agreement is not legally binding but should be respected "as a result of negotiations between Japan and China," Hong said the four-point agreement must be truly observed so that China-Japan relations can be gradually improved. Full story