On August 12, 2026, Hong Kong media outlet Hong Kong 01 reported an episode from when China's former Premier Zhu Rongji (Jū Ronjī), who passed away at the age of 97, once appeared on a Japanese TV program.

The article introduced that Mr. Zhu appeared on a TBS program during his visit to Japan on October 14, 2000, and held a dialogue with 99 Japanese citizens. In the program, Mr. Zhu stated that the purpose of his visit to Japan was to "resolve distrust and deepen mutual trust" and to promote mutual cooperation, taking into account the "China threat theory" present in Japan and China's dissatisfaction regarding history, Taiwan, and security.

The article also mentioned that when a female student asked him about how to confront history, Mr. Zhu replied, "Forgetting history is a betrayal." It introduced that he criticized the concealment and fading of history, asserting that it is precisely by both sides facing history squarely and learning lessons from it that future Japan-China friendship will be fostered.

Furthermore, it was also introduced that when the host read aloud a question from a viewer in Hiroshima, "How long will you continue to demand apologies from Japan?", Mr. Zhu pointed out that the statement by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995 "remained a comprehensive statement to the people of Asia," and refuted by saying that "a direct apology to the Chinese people has never been made in any official Japanese document." The article reported that he explained that China is not endlessly demanding apologies from Japan, but merely wants Japan not to forget history.

The article also noted that while serious discussions were held during the program, Mr. Zhu also performed a jinghu and created an approachable atmosphere with smiles and jokes.