Emperor Akihito’s achievements hailed in China

May 1, 2019

Beijing--Japanese Emperor Akihito's personality and achievements were positively reported by Chinese media on Tuesday, the last day of his 30-year reign.

State-backed news website China.org.cn said the Emperor is the only Japanese monarch to have visited China and that the 1992 trip played an extremely important role in improving bilateral relations.

It said the Emperor has been like a commoner in a real sense, citing examples such as his use of words that people could easily understand.

The Global Times, a newspaper under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, carried an article by a Japan expert that said the Emperor has expanded his influence in and outside Japan through active engagement in

Imperial diplomacy and frequent visits to disaster-hit areas.

Chinese nonfiction writer Xiaoxizhishui appreciated the Emperor for quoting in a news conference a word from the Analects of Confucius that means sincerity and consideration.

Xiaoxizhishui, who writes on Japanese history, said he had feelings of empathy and respect for the Emperor as a Chinese who likes Chinese classics.

He said he was also impressed to hear the Emperor point to the significance of learning from history since the 1931 Manchurian incident, which marked the start of Japan's invasion of China. Jiji Press