1st Ld-Writethru: Sino-Japanese ties face test, opportunity: Premier

Sino-Japanese relations are now facing both "a test and an opportunity" at the important moment of this year which marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Sunday.

The root cause for the difficulty in the bilateral relations lies in whether the war and history was viewed correctly, Li said at a press conference after the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

The year also marked the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

If Japanese leaders could face the history squarely with a consistent view, there would be new opportunities to improve the bilateral ties and favorable conditions would be created to enhance the trade between the two sides, he said.

He reminded Japanese leaders of holding the historical responsibilities for crimes committed by their predecessors during the aggression war which caused deep calamities for the Chinese people. The Japanese people were also victims of the war, Li said.

Many countries have made plans to hold commemorative activities for the anniversary. The purpose was to bear firmly in mind the hard lessons learned from historical tragedies and never allow history to repeat itself, he said, reaffirming China's stance of safeguarding the outcomes of victory, the post-war order and international laws as well as peace after World War II. Endi