Cherry Blossom Yet to Bloom.docVIP

Cherry Blossom Yet to Bloom 　　Words such as soft， gentle and elegant are used to describe Japanese cherry blossoms. When tens of thousands of flowers are in full bloom and their pedals shower down， it not only shows the flourishing of Spring but also the vanishing of a momentary beauty. China and Japan have experienced ups and downs in their relationship since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations. And now， the bilateral relationship has deteriorated and become icy-cold since the Japanese Government announced its purchase of the Diaoyu Islands last year. With Spring approaching， we expect a thaw in the bilateral relationship ushering in a brilliant new period. It was against such a background that we， led by the ChinaJapan Friendship Association， came to Japan on a mission of friendship and with a modest attitude of wishing to learn. 　　 I 　　Japan is a country about which the Chinese people have mixed feelings― hatred， love and admiration. It is a country “difficult to deal with”. 　　Some people hate Japan， cursing it and encouraging military confrontation with it. When mentioning Japan and thinking of history， we cannot but link it with horrifying terms like “germ warfare”， “massacre”， etc. It inflicted unhealed wounds upon the Chinese na- tion in the last century. Even today， it rubs salt in the wounds of our people with its acts of paying homage to dead war criminals of the war of aggression against China， and scrambling for the Diaoyu Islands. 　　Yet most people like Japan. Animated Japanese TV series such as Tetsuwan Atom （Astro Boy）， Digimon Adventure， Doraemon， etc. are wellknown in China and have accompanied us during our childhood years when China then lacked a powerful momentum for animation development. The healthy and fine Japanese food such as Sushi， Sashimi and green tea has won wide praise in the world. Sony， Nikon， Mitsubishi and Toyota ― without Japanese digital and electronic products and cars， our life will become monotonous and