Foreign ministers from Asian and European countries were scheduled to start their two-day annual talks yesterday evening in Japan's western Kyoto prefecture on issues such as North Korea's nuclear program and Myanmar's human rights record.
Meetings between Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers, as well as between Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) are also expected to address recent anti-Japan sentiment over handling of its war history.
According to Japanese government officials, the ASEM meeting was to start yesterday evening with the first round of full sessions in which participants are expected to discuss political issues, including how best to reform the UN, prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and North Korea.
PHOTO: AFP
Representatives from the 10 members from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, China, South Korea and the 25 EU members as well as the European Commission will join the ASEM talks. Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura will chair the meeting.
Ahead of the ASEM meeting, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met at a Kyoto hotel yesterday and agreed to try to resume six-nation talks as soon as possible and peacefully resolve North Korea's nuclear program.
The six-way talks involve China, Japan, North and South Korea, the US and Russia with the last meeting ending in June of last year unsuccessfully.
Tensions have risen following Sunday's testing of a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan by North Korea. In February, Pyongyang admitted it had nuclear weapons and would no longer participate in talks on the subject.
China and South Korea have urged North Korea not to do anything that would further isolate itself during reports of preparations for an underground nuclear test.
"The ministers said any moves by North Korea that deteriorate the situation further would not help and only further isolate itself," South Korean official Park Joon-woo said.
Meanwhile, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner is expected to meet with Myanmar's foreign minister, Nyan Win, on the sidelines of the ASEM meeting.
Myanmar joined ASEM last year at a meeting in Vietnam.
The EU official is expected to raise concerns about the Southeast Asian military junta's human rights record and detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during the EU-Myanmar talks.
EU foreign ministers last month renewed sanctions for a year against Myanmar, including restricting travel by its officials and preventing investment in the country.
Today, Japanese foreign minister Machimura will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing to discuss how best to improve bilateral relations following anti-Japan rallies in China last month.
Demonstrators in China accused Japan of trying to glorify its wartime history and said they were opposed to Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Machimura's talks with Li will follow Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Machimura and Li are expected to take up a plan to jointly study bilateral history to bridge the gap over historical interpretations.
ASEM was created in 1996 with the aim of expanding Asian and European ties in a forum without the US.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS