JAPAN: Flags, flowers and protests greet Chinese President Hu Jintao in Tokyo

Record ID: 464568

  • Title: JAPAN: Flags, flowers and protests greet Chinese President Hu Jintao in Tokyo
  • Date: 6th May 2008
  • Summary: (W2) TOKYO, JAPAN (MAY 6, 2008) (REUTERS) PEOPLE MARCHING TO PROTEST AGAINST HU'S VISIT, CHANTING "FREE TIBET" "STOP HU JINTAO" POSTER WITH HU'S PHOTO CROSSED OUT PROTESTERS WAVING TIBETAN FLAGS PROTESTERS MARCHING STREET BIG BANNER READING "GENOCIDE OLYMPICS" HU JINTAO'S PICTURE ON BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TAKASHI KUBO, MEMBER OF TIBET SUPPORT GROUP "KIKU" AND
  • Embargoed: 21st May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8DUFQWBRU2IDNLQMLNZ4XMHU4
  • Story Text: Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Japan on Tuesday (May 6) for a state visit intended to nurture trust between the Asian powers despite rifts over energy resources and security.
    Hu was greeted in Tokyo by senior Japanese officials and flag-waving, mostly Chinese well-wishers. Downtown, some 7,000 police were deployed ahead of threatened protests by hundreds of right-wing activists who see China as a danger.
    But China is promoting itself as a friendly neighbour after years of feuding over Japan's handling of its wartime aggression, and Hu has stressed forward-looking goals for his five days of ceremony, speeches and deals, as well as table tennis and perhaps pandas.
    China's second ever state visit to Japan comes as it seeks to calm international tensions over Tibetan unrest, which has threatened to mar Beijing's Olympic Games, a showcase of national pride.
    In the streets of Tokyo, more than 1,000 people rallied in protest against Hu's visit, many furious over China's recent deadly crackdown on Tibet.

    "China continues using military power against people even if they die. I'm here to tell Chinese President Hu, who is here today, that what they do is wrong," said Takashi Kubo, a protest organizer and member of pro-Tibet group Kiku (pronounced KEY-Koo).
    Aki Hyuga, 32, travelled for more than 3 hours to join this rally and get her message across.

    "I'd like to urge the Chinese president to meet with the Dalai Lama as soon as possible," Hyuga said.
    The political climax of Hu's visit is set to be a summit on Wednesday (May 7) with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, when they hope to unveil a joint blueprint for managing ties in coming years.
    Officials from both sides had earlier raised hopes of a breakthrough in the gas dispute before Hu's visit, but a swift compromise seems unlikely.
    Hu will give a speech to university students in Tokyo, he may play table tennis with Fukuda and he might also offer Japan a panda to replace one that died in a Tokyo zoo in April.
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