Former Japanese PM calls for China-Japan relations back on track

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is calling on the current Japanese government to take action to improve the relationship between Beijing and Tokyo.

Speaking at a peace forum here in Beijing, Hatoyama says current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to provoke the Chinese leadership by visiting the Yasukuni Shrine and taking a hard-line stance over the Diaoyu islands.

"I'm very concerned about the current China-Japan relations, especially after the formation of the Abe regime. It is a fact that visiting the Yasukuni Shrine and 'nationalizing' the Diaoyu Islands have infuriated the Chinese government and Chinese people. I think Japan should have the courage to face history."

Hatoyama is a political opponent of Abe and former leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.

He served as Prime Minister from September 2009 to June 2010.

Hatoyama says the current Japanese government needs to better understand and review the history between the two nations in order to improve relations.

Sino-Japanese ties have been heavily strained over the Diaoyu Islands and issues connected to World War II.