Covering the business of education and training

There's a reason why we study history and are required to get good grades in it.

The Japanese and Chinese have the same history but give different answers to the essay questions - who did what during the war period.

The Japanese and Chinese have bickered over history for a long time...especially over the way Japan treated China during Japan's attempt at expansion before WWII.

This is the 70th anniversary of "the Marco Polo Bridge" incident, a battle near Beijing that marked the start of the 2nd Sino-Japanese war (1937-1945).

It has also been 70 years since the Rape of Nanjing.

Both China and Japan will send 10 scholars each to the talks to take an "objective look at the facts, using academic methods."

Chinese and Japanese relations are often strained because of differences, until now, Japan's refusal to accept its military agressive history.

The findings of this panel will be released next year.

Perhaps then, Japan and China can announce the lessons they've learned from the past and turn to the future.

We can only hope.