Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao (
The meeting was to take place yesterday evening along the sidelines of a summit for Asian and African leaders in Jakarta, said Akira Chiba, a spokesman for Koizumi's delegation.
"The prime minister said they will talk about friendship and cooperation, which are the key to prosperity of the region," Chiba told reporters. "We were very eager to meet each other and we are happy that it's happening."
PHOTO: EPA
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan (
"The most important point is bilateral relations. That will be the main theme of the talks between the two leaders," Kong said.
"We attach emphasis on developing neighboring, friendly and cooperative relations with Japan," he said. "We hope leaders of the two countries can ... eliminate the negative impacts created by Japan's erroneous actions so that Sino-Japanese relations can move forward smoothly on a healthy foundation."
Relations between the two Asian powers plunged to a three-decade low, with massive anti-Japanese protests erupting in several Chinese cities in recent weeks over Tokyo's handling of its wartime atrocities in new junior high school textbooks and its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
APOLOGIES
At the start of the summit Friday, Koizumi apologized for his country's World War II aggression in an apparent bid to defuse tensions with China, expressing "deep remorse."
Although the statement broke no new ground, it was a clear attempt to reverse the worst erosion of ties between Tokyo and Beijing since diplomatic relations were established in 1972.
"In the past, Japan through its colonial rule and aggression caused tremendous damage and suffering for the people of many countries, particularly those of Asian nations," Koizumi said at the opening ceremony for the summit in Jakarta, conveying Tokyo's "heartfelt apology" for its conquests.
"Japan squarely faces these facts of history in a spirit of humility," he said.
Delegates at the Asian-African summit welcomed the talks between Hu and Koizumi, saying the rift between the economic powerhouses could impact regional stability.
"There is a need for China and Japan to keep on talking as any tension between them is not going to help the stability and political climate in our region," Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters. Syed Hamid said Koizumi's apology should be followed up "by some action hopefully."
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he believed Koizumi's statement had been received well throughout the region.
"It has set the stage for [yesterday's] meeting. I hope it will also help facilitate the discussions and understanding that they both seek," Annan said. "These are two mature nations that have wise leaders and I hope that between them they will get relations back on track."
At least 12 million Chinese citizens died in Japan's assault on their nation in the 1930s and 1940s. Japan, an ally of Nazi Germany, conquered much of East Asia before its forces surrendered in August 1945, and memories of its brutal rule are still fresh in many countries.
NO chinese PROTESTS
In Beijing, there was no sign yesterday of new anti-Japanese protests after the government called on China's public to end unrest that might damage economic ties.
Three busloads of paramilitary troops guarded Japan's Embassy's fenced compound. Some of the anti-riot troops passed the time by doing jumping jacks and practicing martial arts in the street.
The government appealed Friday for calm, with state television quoting Commerce Minister Bo Xilai (
A spokesman for Chinese nationalist groups that helped to mobilize earlier protests said he knew of no plans for demonstrations this weekend.
"The Chinese people have already done a good job of letting Japan and the world know how we feel," said Lu Yunfei. "Everyone is now reviewing the effects of the marches and looking at where we go from here."
A ship that appears to be taking on the identity of a scrapped gas carrier exited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, showing how strategies to get through the waterway are evolving as the Middle East war progresses. The vessel identifying as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Jamal left the Strait on Friday morning, ship-tracking data show. However, the same tanker was also recorded as having beached at an Indian demolition yard in October last year, where it is being broken up, according to market participants and port agent’s reports. The ship claiming to be Jamal is likely a zombie vessel that
Japan is to downgrade its description of ties with China from “one of its most important” in an annual diplomatic report, according to a draft reviewed by Reuters, as relations with Beijing worsen. This year’s Diplomatic Bluebook, which Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government is expected to approve next month, would instead describe China as an important neighbor and the relationship as “strategic” and “mutually beneficial.” The draft cites a series of confrontations with Beijing over the past year, including export controls on rare earths, radar lock-ons targeting Japanese military aircraft and increased pressure around Taiwan. The shift in tone underscores a deterioration
LAW CONSTRAINTS: The US has been pressing allies to send warships to open the Strait, but Tokyo’s military actions are limited under its postwar pacifist constitution Japan could consider deploying its military for minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire is reached in the war on Iran, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi said yesterday. “If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up,” Motegi said. “This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider.” Japan’s military actions are limited under its postwar pacifist constitution, but 2015 security legislation allows Tokyo to use its Self-Defense Forces overseas if an attack,
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) yesterday faced a regional election battle in Rhineland-Palatinate, now held by the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). Merz’s CDU has enjoyed a narrow poll lead over the SPD — their coalition partners at the national level — who have ruled the mid-sized state for 35 years. Polling third is the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which spells a greater threat to the two centrist parties in several state elections in September in the country’s ex-communist east. The picturesque state of Rhineland-Palatinate, bordering France, Belgium and Luxembourg and with a population of about 4 million,
RSS