The fourth meeting of leaders from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) since 2008 will give China a chance to strengthen its ties with its two East Asian neighbors. The two-day meeting from Saturday will also create opportunities for trilateral cooperation based on mutual trust and reciprocity, which many say has become a necessity after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan.

Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese and ROK prime ministers will hold in-depth talks on issues of regional and international importance, including the situation in Northeast Asia, the recovery of the world economy and East Asian cooperation. They are expected to chart the future of trilateral cooperation in fields such as nuclear safety, disaster management, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The meeting will be held in the backdrop of Japan's tragedy, in which 15,057 people were killed and 9,121 went missing. The earthquake and the tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, too. And Japan is still battling to bring its nuclear reactors under control.

China sent a rescue team and relief materials to Japan immediately after the quake and tsunami. China's continued relief efforts have brought the peoples of the two countries closer and helped improve bilateral relations, which are returning to normal after tensions heightened in September last year.

Japan's post-disaster reconstruction presents a good opportunity for the two countries to continue improving their relations, and Chinese officials have vowed to strengthen trade and economic ties with Japan and participate in its reconstruction.

During his visit to Japan this weekend, Premier Wen is expected to tour the Fukushima area to convey Chinese people's goodwill to the Japanese people and show China's support for Japan's reconstruction.

Though US ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded its outlook on Japan's economy from "stable" to "negative" in April saying reconstruction could increase the country's debt woes, economists now believe Japan is likely to grow in the July-September period because of reconstruction demand, export growth and the recovery of its supply chain.

Given China's stable economic growth and interdependent relation with Japan in trade, China's presence in Japan's post-quake reconstruction efforts in a big way could be a win-win strategy for both countries.

"A more stable and trustworthy relationship between Japan and China is also essential to Japan's rebuilding," Yoichi Funabashi, former editor-in-chief of the Asahi Shimbun, wrote in London-based Financial Times on Thursday. This in more ways than one mirrors the two governments' ideas on developing good-neighborly ties.

To put bilateral ties back on the track, the two countries have to handle their differences and disputes properly, keeping in mind the general picture of bilateral ties. They should respect each other's core interests and mutual concerns so that their friendship can endure even the most inclement of weathers.

(China Daily 05/21/2011 page5)