A radio communication apparatus (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) for performing relay transmission between a first radio communication apparatus and a second radio communication apparatus, the radio communication apparatus comprising: a receiving section that is adapted to receive a plurality of first data symbols formed with first systematic bits and first parity bits added for error correcting encoding, from the first radio communication apparatus; a demodulating section that is adapted to demodulate the plurality of first data symbols to output bits; a decoding section that is adapted to perform error correcting decoding on the bits received from the demodulating section, thereby generating second systematic bits as a decoding result; an error determining section that is adapted to determine whether or not there is an error in the decoding result; an encoding section that is adapted to perform error correcting encoding on the decoding result to generate from the second systematic bits, third parity bits; a selecting section that is adapted to select either a first input at which the second systematic bits are received but not the third parity bits, when there is an error in the decoding result, or a second input, where the second systematic bits and the third parity bits are received, when there is no error in the decoding result, and to output bits received at the selected input; a modulating section that is adapted to modulate the selected bits output from the selecting section to generate a plurality of second data symbols, the plurality of second data symbols thereby being formed with the second systematic bits and without parity bits generated from the second systematic bits at the radio communication apparatus when there is an error in the decoding result, and being formed with the second systematic bits and the third parity bits when there is no error in the decoding result; and a transmitting section that is adapted to transmit the plurality of the second data symbols to the second radio communication apparatus. a receiving section that is adapted to receive a plurality of first data symbols formed with first systematic bits and first parity bits added for error correcting encoding, from the first radio communication apparatus; a demodulating section that is adapted to demodulate the plurality of first data symbols to output bits; a decoding section that is adapted to perform error correcting decoding on the bits received from the demodulating section, thereby generating second systematic bits as a decoding result; an error determining section that is adapted to determine whether or not there is an error in the decoding result; an encoding section that is adapted to perform error correcting encoding on the decoding result to generate from the second systematic bits, third parity bits; a selecting section that is adapted to select either a first input at which the second systematic bits are received but not the third parity bits, when there is an error in the decoding result, or a second input, where the second systematic bits and the third parity bits are received, when there is no error in the decoding result, and to output bits received at the selected input; a modulating section that is adapted to modulate the selected bits output from the selecting section to generate a plurality of second data symbols, the plurality of second data symbols thereby being formed with the second systematic bits and without parity bits generated from the second systematic bits at the radio communication apparatus when there is an error in the decoding result, and being formed with the second systematic bits and the third parity bits when there is no error in the decoding result; and a transmitting section that is adapted to transmit the plurality of the second data symbols to the second radio communication apparatus.