Remarks by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama During His May 1995 Visit to China

4 May 1995

I would like to thank the government of China for inviting me to visit China and for the very warm welcome that they have accorded me. Yesterday, I had the opportunity for a frank and friendly exchange of views with President Jiang Zemin, Premier Li Peng, and other Chinese leaders on a wide range of issues. This reaffirmation with the Chinese leadership that Japan and China, two countries having significant responsibilities for prosperity and peace in the Asia-Pacific region, should further strengthen mutual understanding and mutual trust looking ahead to the 21st century and should make cooperative contributions to prosperity and peace in this region and hence the entire world was very meaningful. In my visit to Xian, which has historically been familiar with Japan, I look forward to making anew a resolution for the friendship between Japan and China, coming in touch with the everlasting history of China. Then, I will visit Shanghai, the frontline of China's "Open-up and Reform," and look forward to having a look at an energetic China. I would like to take this opportunity today to say a few words on how Japan, as a member of Asia, intends to address the issues ahead in this region.

1. With the end of the Cold War, numerous countries around the globe are making better living standards for their people their primary policy goal. In Asia, in particular, the market economies giving free rein to individual initiatives have been working remarkably, and this region is today attracting attention as a world growth center. Last summer, I had the opportunity to visit some of the ASEAN countries and Vietnam, and I was impressed with the dynamic development that they are achieving. This time, having witnessed how the streets of Beijing pulse with vitality, I have been impressed anew with the fresh breezes blowing in Asia. Many of the peoples of Asia are filled with hope that their lives will become freer, more democratic, and more prosperous this year than last year, next year than this. The task before us is thus that of realizing this dream and of consolidating this accomplishment.

Today the interdependence among nations has been increasing in the global economy. It is more and more clear that no single country can successfully deal with these issues alone. These issues can only be resolved jointly through bilateral cooperation, open regional cooperation such as we see in APEC, and global frameworks such as the WTO. Such cooperation can be termed as "joint task for prosperity." Japan intends to play a vigorous part in these efforts and to work even harder for free and democratic prosperity throughout Asia through cooperation in nation-building efforts of other Asian countries and other forms of international cooperation.

2. It is axiomatic that such freedom, democracy, and prosperity has to be grounded in peace and stability. There are some regions that are less stable for the time being since the end of the Cold War. The determined efforts to ensure peace, however, have been paying off in Asia, as is exemplified by the attainment of peace in Indochina. For the future too, any problem in this region should be resolved through peaceful dialogue among all of the countries and parties concerned. It goes without saying that we should bear it in mind that the economic growth in Asian countries will not lead to an arms race which would result in adversely affecting peace and stability in the region. Rather, I believe Asia, after the end of the Cold War, has been given a chance to serve as a model for the rest of the world in this regard.

Nor can this peace and stability be secured by any single country alone. Bilateral cooperation with countries within and outside the region and multilateral cooperation through such fora as the United Nations are increasingly important. In addition, there are also significant new developments such as holding of the ASEAN Regional Forum in which the countries of the region discuss measures to enhance their mutual reassurance through dialogue. This is what can be called "joint task for peace," and Japan plans to participate in it vigorously and take initiatives in its support.

3. The "joint task for prosperity and peace" can only be promoted on the basis of mutual trust between countries and between peoples. From this point of view, Japan has long been keen to create heart-to-heart relations with other Asian peoples. It is because I have emphasized the importance of heart-to-heart communication, or mutual trust that, likewise at home, I have called for caring government.

I think that, in order to build mutual trust with neighboring Asia and elsewhere, it is imperative for us, Japanese people, to look squarely to the history of our relationship with them and realize it correctly. Japan has been thus working to forge bonds of mutual understanding and confidence with other Asian peoples, based on the profound remorse for its acts of aggression and colonial rule of the past. Japan is determined to further continue these efforts, as well as create peace towards the future. My visit to the Marco Polo Bridge yesterday in this milestone year marking the 50th anniversary of the war's end has made a profound impression on me and has redoubled my convictions in this regard. I would thus like to take this opportunity to reaffirm once more that the Japanese people are firmly determined that Japan will never become a military power.

Based upon the foundation of mutual trust thus built, Japan is resolved to work together with China and other countries of Asia to move ahead in "joint task for prosperity and peace."