Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's visit to Tokyo this month marked a turning point in Sino-Japanese relations, which have been strained for the past two years as a result of disagreements over wartime history. In a Tokyo news conference Oct. 16, Zhu said the Japanese people, as well as the Chinese, were "victims of Japanese militarism." The Japanese people should not be held responsible for the war of aggression Japan waged against China, he added.
Zhu praised then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama's 1995 statement in which he apologized for Japan's aggression and colonial rule of Asian countries. "Our goal is not to demand an apology," he said.
Zhu repeatedly said the two nations should move forward by learning from history. At the same time, he said, "We need to directly look at history, instead of hiding it." This remark shows that China remains adamant in its position regarding wartime history.