CHINA: Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda meets Chinese President Hu Jintao and delivers a speech at Peking University

Record ID: 465022

  • Title: CHINA: Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda meets Chinese President Hu Jintao and delivers a speech at Peking University
  • Date: 29th December 2007
  • Summary: (BN10) BEIJING, CHINA (DECEMBER 28, 2007) (REUTERS) ZHONGNANHA, CHINESE GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO SHAKING HANDS WITH JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER YASUO FUKUDA MORE OF HAND SHAKING CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO SHAKING HANDS WITH JAPANESE OFFICIALS MEETING BETWEEN CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO AND JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER YASUO FUKUDA CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO SPEAKING MORE OF MEETING JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER YASUO FUKUDA SPEAKING PAN OF MEETING STAFF CLOSING DOOR OF MEETING ROOM MORE OF MEETING ROOM (BN10) BEIJING, CHINA (DECEMBER 28, 2007) (REUTERS) SPEECH HALL AUDIENCE APPLAUDING JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER YASUO FUKUDA WALKING TO PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) YASUO FUKUDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SAYING: "I think that such pride should come from repenting ones sins and respecting the victims' feelings. It is only possible to avoid making mistakes in the future by having the courage and wisdom to consider and reflect on the past and repent what needs to be repented." SPEECH HALL / AUDIENCE APPLAUDING CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) YASUO FUKUDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, SAYING: "We acknowledge the certain developments recently made in the North Korean denuclearization process but we are currently at a very important point which would devise whether or not we can further strengthen this process and consolidate the peace and stability of northeast Asia. Also, along with the denuclearization issue, and resolving the kidnapping and missiles problems, we look toward settling our unfortunate past and normalising and building our relationship with North Korea." SPEECH HALL JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER YASUO FUKUDA LEAVING SPEECH HALL
  • Embargoed: 13th January 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAD24O2I9WKJGBNQ41KWPVS2AKT
  • Story Text: Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday (December 28) met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on his first visit to the country since taking office in September.
    Fukuda and Hu Jintao discussed issues such as the disputed East China Sea economic zone and cooperation on global climate changes.
    Eleven rounds of talks have failed to settle a long-running dispute between the two Asian giants over how to exploit natural gas in the East China Sea and where the dividing line between their exclusive economic zones in the area should lie.
    In his earlier talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Fukuda said talks on the gas field dispute made "certain progress" but did not elaborate.
    Wen said the two countries had the will to develop and turn the East China Sea into an "ocean of peace and friendship", and he agreed with Fukuda that spring had come to bilateral ties.
    Fukuda also joined a growing chorus of opposition to Taiwan's contentious plan to hold a referendum on U.N. membership, a comment intended to placate China.
    Beijing insists that the rest of the world treat self-ruled Taiwan as a province of China, and has long threatened to attack the island if it formally declares statehood. It would see passage of the referendum as tantamount to a declaration of independence.
    Earlier in the afternoon, Fukuda gave a speech in one of China's most prestigious academic institution, the Peking University.
    Fukuda, speaking at the hall crowded by hundreds of students, said lessons should be learned from history.

    "It is only possible to avoid making mistakes in the future by having the courage and wisdom to consider and reflect on the past and repent what needs to be repented."
    Ties between the two Asian giants have warmed in the past year after a long chill under former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who repeatedly visited Tokyo's Yasukuni war shrine seen by critics as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.
    The 71-year-old Fukuda, whose father clinched a milestone peace treaty with Beijing in 1978, has vowed not to visit Yasukuni while in office.
    He also hoped to see Japan and China make joint efforts in the six-party talks process to end North Korea's nuclear programmes.

    "We acknowledge the certain developments recently made in the North Korean denuclearization process but we are currently at a very important point which would devise whether or not we can further strengthen this process and consolidate the peace and stability of northeast Asia. Also, along with the denuclearization issue, and resolving the kidnapping and missiles problems, we look toward settling our unfortunate past and normalising and building our relationship with North Korea," Fukuda said.
    North Korea reached a deal with regional powers to disable its ageing, plutonium-producing nuclear plant and release an inventory of its atomic activities by the end of the year in exchange for aid. But it said fully disarmament of its Yongbyon complex could be delayed as it didn't get the aid in time.
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