Japan, China to hold talks to narrow history gap

TOKYO, Dec 25 (Reuters) Japanese and Chinese academics will start joint studies on their long and sometimes war-torn history this week as part of the two countries' efforts to improve ties strained by persistent disputes over the past. Sino-Japanese relations were frosty for much of the past half-decade, largely because of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's annual visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, seen by Beijing as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

Koizumi's successor, Shinzo Abe, moved to mend fences, visiting China in October just weeks after he took office. At a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the two leaders agreed on the need for joint history studies.

Twenty academics, ten from each side, will meet for two days in Beijing from Tuesday in the first round of what is expected to be twice-yearly discussions that aim to conclude with a report sometime in 2008.

Shinichi Kitaoka, a political science professor at the University of Tokyo who heads the Japanese group, said gaps between the Asian neighbours' perceptions of history were too great at present, endangering the future of the relationship.

''At the moment, we're in a very unhealthy situation where deadlock over history is preventing politicians from tackling present and future issues,'' he told a recent news conference.

''The gap is too wide. I don't intend to forcibly fill it altogether, but I intend to narrow it as much as possible through academic debate,'' Kitaoka said.

Along with ancient and mediaeval history, the academics will look into the contentious area of modern history, when Japan invaded and occupied parts of China from 1931 to 1945.

Chinese state media have played down the initial phase of the talks, suggesting that finding any common ground could take some time.

The official China Daily cited Bu Ping, director of the Institute of Modern History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and head of the Chinese delegation, as saying no specifics would be discussed at the first meeting.

''Instead, it will concentrate on the working process, principles and purposes,'' the newspaper said.

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