President Hu Jintao, meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the sidelines of the Asian-African summit in Jakarta, said Japan should "seriously reflect on its wartime history and properly handle the current difficult situation in Sino-Japanese relations.''
During their talk on Saturday, Hu said recent deeds by Japan have breached its "commitment to its attitude toward its wartime history and to the Taiwan question in addition to visits to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine,'' hindering Sino-Japanese relations.
Earlier this month, Japan's education ministry approved revised history textbooks that have been criticized by some Asian countries for distorting history and whitewashing Japan's colonial rule and wartime atrocities. The textbook issue triggered protests in Asian countries including China and South Korea.
Hu said these actions had deeply hurt the feelings of the people in China and other Asian nations and aroused discontent.
Hu urged Japan to "properly handle the current difficult situation and take concrete measures to push Sino-Japanese relations back to the track of healthy and stable development."
Hu initiated five proposals for developing Sino-Japanese relations.
First, the Japanese government should strictly abide by previous Sino-Japanese joint statements and treaties and act to forge a cooperative relationship with China.
Second, the Japanese government should reflect on its wartime past. The aggression by the Japanese militarists against China in the 1930s and 1940s brought tremendous loss and suffering to the Chinese people, Hu said.
Remorse expressed for Japan's aggression against China and other Asian countries should be translated into action, and nothing should be done to hurt the feelings of the Chinese people or the people of other Asian countries again, he said.
Third, the Taiwan question should be correctly handled. China hopes Japan will fulfill its commitments by demonstrating its adherence to the one-China policy and opposition to Taiwan independence.
Fourth, differences between the two nations need to be resolved through dialogue and peaceful negotiation.
Fifth, the two countries should further strengthen communication and encourage friendly exchanges between their citizens.
Koizumi stressed the importance of the Sino-Japanese friendship, saying it is not only beneficial to China and Japan but also exerts great influence in Asia and the international community. 
The rapid development of China is an opportunity for Japan rather than a threat to Japan, and this fact is gradually being accepted by more and more Japanese people, the Japanese prime minister said.
Koizumi said Japan will take vigorous action to promote a friendly relationship with China in the spirit of Hu's five proposals.
On the questions of history and Taiwan, Koizumi said the Japanese government will adhere to the principles laid out in documents signed between Japan and China and that his government's stance has been maintained without change.
Koizumi said he fully agreed with Hu's proposal on resolving all the disputes through dialogue.
At the end of the close-door talks, President Hu expressed his hope that the two countries will regard the meeting as a turning point to advance bilateral relations.