On February 25, 2017, a delegation from the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) was invited to visit Tokyo and attend the Second Chinese and Japanese Expert Joint Conference on the joint research project entitled “Historical Understanding and the Future of Sino-Japanese Relations”. During the conference, Japanese and Chinese experts conducted in-depth discussions on issues related to historical understanding, such as the cause, nature, impact and lessons of the Sino-Japanese War from 1931 to 1945 and tried to deepen understanding and forge consensus. 

Chinese participants in the dialogue are: Wang Chaoguang, Deputy Director of Institute of World History Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zhang Tuosheng, council member of IISS, PKU, Associate Prof. Yu Tiejun, Assistant President of IISS, PKU, and Prof. Li Hanmei and Associate Prof. Gui Yongtao, School of International Studies (SIS), PKU. Japanese participants in the dialogue are: Sumio Hatano, Director of Asian History Material Center of the Cabinet Office and Professor of University of Tsukuba, Hiroshi Nakanishi, Professor of Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University, Takahara Akio, Professor of Graduate School of Law and Politics, University of Tokyo, Iizuka Keiko, International Director of Yomiuri Shinbun, Motoya Nakamura, Professor of Department of International Relations, Tsuda College, and Yuichi Hosoya, Professor of Faculty of Law, Keio University. 

As is known to all, one of the major obstacles to Sino-Japanese relations is that the two sides fail to reach adequate consensus on historical understanding, such as Sino-Japanese War. The project entitled “Historical Understanding and the Future of Sino-Japanese Relations” is co-hosted by The Sasakawa Peace Foundation and IISS, PKU, which is mainly aimed at discussing the future of Sino-Japanese relations and promoting the healthy and sound development of bilateral relations on the basis of ever-expanding historical consensus and in the spirit of “bearing in mind the history and facing the future”. 

This is the second joint conference and the project kick-off meeting & first joint conference was held in Peking University in March 2016. Aside from this joint conference, China and Japan have also organized focus research groups respectively to systematically study the research topics determined by the two sides together. Research findings will be published successively.