Fukuda tells Chinese Japan will 'look squarely' into wartime history

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told a Chinese audience on Friday his country will "look squarely" into its wartime militarism and pass it on to its children and grandchildren, saying he believes that is the only way to ensure mistakes are not repeated.
In a speech at Peking University, Fukuda also urged China to become his country's partner to create a peaceful and stable world, saying the two nations both face a responsibility and a major opportunity to do so.
Referring to Japan's wartime militarism as "an unfortunate period" in history, Fukuda said, "I believe it is our responsibility to squarely look at it and to pass it on to our offspring."
"I believe we can prevent mistakes in the future only if we properly look at the past, and have the courage and wisdom to repent what we must repent," he said, triggering a round of applause from the mainly Chinese audience.
The speech by Fukuda during his four-day visit to China was the first to be given in the country by a Japanese prime minister since Ryutaro Hashimoto in 1997.
It was broadcast live on China's state-run television, a rare move by China seen as symbolic of the recent warming of testy bilateral relations.
"Japan and China have become major presences" in the world, Fukuda said. "The fact that Japan and China have come to acquire the abilities to contribute to the stability and development of Asia and the world is a big chance for the two countries," he said.
Relations between Japan and China have deteriorated in the past over Japan's wartime atrocities, most recently over then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
Yasukuni enshrines 14 Class-A war criminals along with the war dead. China has strongly protested visits to the shrine by Japanese prime ministers, saying they show that Japan does not repent from its wartime atrocities.
Bilateral ties warmed somewhat after Fukuda's predecessor, Shinzo Abe, took over from Koizumi and visited China in October 2006. Fukuda is paying a visit to China for the first time since taking office in September.
"The goal of my trip this time is to further harden the base of Japan-China relations which has been developing strongly since autumn last year, and to bolster relations to a new level," he said.
"I believe it is my duty to make it possible for us, together with those in important positions such as President Hu Jintao, as well as people from both countries... to enjoy the cherry blossoms in full bloom in the spring," he added.
As part of an effort to boost the exchange of people from the two countries, Fukuda announced a program for Peking University that features holding symposiums over the next two years.
The program also includes an invitation to 100 people from the university and 50 from an affiliated high school to visit Japan next year, Fukuda said.