Dropping the word 'friendship" from the official abbreviated title of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing just brings the name in line with new guidelines, the hospital said on Monday.

The hospital announced on Saturday that it had opted to no longer use the word "friendship" in its abbreviated title.

The name China-Japan Hospital has been used on many occasions for some time, including the nearby bus station, which was named after the facility.

"As people who live in this area, we have been calling it China-Japan Hospital for decades. I think some people just overreacted to the change," a netizen commented on the hospital's micro blog.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a routine press briefing on Monday that the Chinese government's position and policy in developing relations with Japan is consistent, and the country will develop long-term healthy and stable relations with Japan.

According to the hospital, the change followed a regulation on abbreviated titles launched by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. The name China-Japan Hospital is to be used on all occasions, apart from official documents or on occasions that require a full name, according to the regulation.

In addition to the hospital, scores of facilities released official abbreviated titles, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, which was shortened to Peking Union Hospital, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, which can also be called the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Located in Beijing's Chaoyang district, the China-Japan Friendship Hospital was established in the 1980s with financial support from the Japanese government. With 1,500 beds and 69 departments, the hospital was ranked as one of the top 10 hospitals in Beijing, and one of the top 100 hospitals in China.

According to its website, the China-Japan Friendship Hospital was once rated "the best hospital for foreigners in Beijing" by the Association of Expats in Beijing. Many cooperative programs have been set up in conjunction with universities, academies and medical institutions in Japan, the United States and Europe.

pengyining@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 02/18/2015 page4)