Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here on Tuesday both China and Japan should take the road of peaceful development.

The peoples of the two countries should promote mutual understanding, trust and cooperation between them, Wen said in an interview with the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

"Japan's pacifist constitution adopted after World War II stipulates that Japan should follow the road of peaceful development, which has brought tangible benefits to Japan in terms of rapid economic growth and greatly improved standards of living for the Japanese people," Wen said.

Speaking of China's tremendous social and economic progress since the adoption of the reform and opening-up policy more than 30 year ago, he said China will stick to the path of peaceful and harmonious development.

"Both China and Japan should take the road of peaceful development. Therefore, both the Chinese and Japanese peoples should understand and trust each other and cooperate with each other," he said.

The reason why China attaches so much importance to taking history as a mirror and looking into the future is by no means intended to perpetuate hatred, but to promote the feelings and friendship between the two peoples and to prevent a repeat of the past tragedy, Wen said.

He called on the leaders, news media and the academic circles of both countries to play their part in facilitating the exchange of thoughts and the friendship between the two peoples and promote their mutual understanding.