Q: Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi reshuffled his cabinet again on October 31. What comment does the Chinese side have?

A: We have noticed this development. China has consistently maintained that China-Japan relations should be improved and developed on the basis of the principles in the three important political documents between China and Japan and in the spirit of "take history as a mirror and look forward to the future." Under no circumstances would we change this basic policy.

At present, China-Japan relations encounter difficulties, the responsibility of which does not lie with the Chinese side. The key to overcome these difficulties and return China-Japan relations back to the track of normal development is that Japan should demonstrate its political will to improve and develop our relations with earnest action instead of only verbal expression.