CHINA: Japanese FM meets Hirofumi Nakasone Chinese senior officials on his second day in Beijing
Record ID:
464233
CHINA: Japanese FM meets Hirofumi Nakasone Chinese senior officials on his second day in Beijing
- Title: CHINA: Japanese FM meets Hirofumi Nakasone Chinese senior officials on his second day in Beijing
- Date: 2nd March 2009
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 1, 2009) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) EXTERIOR OF MEETING HALL INSIDE ZHONGNANHAI COMPLEX JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER HIROFUMI NAKASONE SHAKING HANDS WITH CHINESE PREMIER WEN JIABAO MEETING WEN JIABAO SPEAKING NAKASONE LISTENING JAPANESE DELEGATES AT MEETING NAKASONE SPEAKING WEN JIABAO LISTENING NAKASONE TALKING WITH WEN JIABAO NAKASONE WALKING IN AND SHAKING HANDS WITH CHINESE STATE COUNCILOR DAI BINGGUO ROUNDTABLE MEETING VARIOUS OF DAI BINGGUO SPEAKING VARIOUS OF NAKASONE SPEAKING MEETING
- Embargoed: 17th March 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: China
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVAE78M5EQLIJ300WOO0VY0F0S6P
- Story Text: Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inside the Zhongnanhai complex, the Communist Party Headquarters in Beijing on Sunday (March 1).
Japan and China, the world's second and third biggest economies, seeking to surmount the global slump and to handle regional tensions over North Korea, appeared keen to stress cooperation rather than confrontation.
When Nakasone met with his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Saturday (February 28), both sides agreed to temper a long-running row over disputed islands in the East China Sea and to seek closer coordination in North Korea and economic policy ahead of a G20 summit in London in April.
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said this week that the small islands, claimed as the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China, were his country's and therefore covered by a security alliance with the United States.
China protested, saying the islands had been part of Chinese territory since ancient times.
But Nakasone and Yang "shared the view that it is only natural for neighbours to have problems from time to time", Nakasone's press secretary Kazuo Kodama was quoted as saying.
Instead they focussed on other issues.
North Korea is believed to be preparing for a long-range missile launch, seen as a move to put pressure on the new U.S. administration to review it's policies toward Pyongyang.
Beijing is usually reluctant to publicly criticise the North, a long-standing Communist partner.
The two ministers agreed not to reveal much of their talks on the North, but Nakasone's press secretary said diplomatic activities were progressing.
North Korea stunned the region when it fired a missile over Japan in 1998, saying it had launched a satellite.
Naksone held talks with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo later on Sunday morning.
Dai, once an envoy of President Hu Jintao to North Korea, has been dealing with the North for years.
Nakasone also discussed with Chinese officials about arrangements for a second round of a high-level economic policy dialogue and for a proposed visit by the Japanese prime minister, whose dim electoral prospects may see him lose office before he can make the trip.
Sino-Japanese relations have long been strained by disputes over history, territory and potential oil and gas reserves under nearby seas.
But over recent years the two sides have overcome the hostility that impeded top-level visits.
Nakasone is on a two-day visit in China. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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