China: Ties with Japan at lowest point for 30 years

04/18/2005 17:13 EST (0148 GMT)

China said ties with Japan were at their worst point since diplomatic relations were established in 1972, and that Tokyo was to blame.

"There are serious difficulties between China and Japan at the moment," Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei told reporters.

"It is the most difficult time since the establishement of diplomatic ties in 1972 ... the reason is that the Japanese government cannot correctly handle the historical question, that is, the history of Japanese militarism's invasion of China."

Mass anti-Japanese protests took place over the past three weekends and on Sunday the Chinese government rebuffed Japan's demands for an apology and compensations for damage.

"If anyone should apologise, Japan should apologise first," said Wu.

Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura was holding a second day of talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing, with both sides insisting that the other take concrete measures to move relations forward.

China is incensed over Tokyo's approval of a nationalist Japanese school textbook which glosses over wartime atrocities and is opposed to Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Source: Agencies