Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his Japanese
counterpart Masahiko Komura held talks on Saturday, and both
ministers expressed confidence in the further development of
China-Japan relations.
Yang said the current China-Japan relations have maintained
sound momentum and bilateral cooperation in various fields has made
remarkable progress.
China will continue to pursue the good-neighborly and friendly
policy with Japan and develop long-term stable cooperation based on
the three political documents between the two countries, he
said.
China is willing to make joint efforts with Japan to expand
exchanges and cooperation in an effort to push for new progress in
the China-Japan relationship, Yang added.
Komura said the atmosphere of Japan-China relations is good and
the meetings between state leaders of both countries have
forcefully promoted the development of bilateral ties.
Japan is willing to increase mutual trust in politics and
security and facilitate bilateral exchanges and cooperation in
environmental protection and culture.
On the Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's upcoming visit to
China, Yang said both sides should strengthen cooperation and make
preparations for Fukuda's visit so as to ensure a successful visit
and push ahead with bilateral relations.
Komura said Japan will keep close coordination with China so
that the exchanges of visits between leaders of the two countries
could yield positive outcomes.
Yang said the history issue and Taiwan question concern the
political foundation of China-Japan relations.
He said he hoped the Japanese side could appropriately handle
relevant issues in accordance with the three political documents
and relevant consensus.
Komura reiterated Japan's position on the Taiwan question,
saying Japan's stance remains unchanged.
Japan does not support Taiwan to "join the United Nations" and
opposes unilateral change of the status quo across the Taiwan
Strait, Komura said.
The year 2008 has been designated as the "China-Japan Friendly
Exchange year of the youth" and marks the 30th anniversary of the
conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and
Japan.
Yang said he hope both sides could arouse the initiative of the
people to carry on the friendship from generation to generation so
as to ensure sound and stable development of bilateral ties.
On the East China Sea issue, Yang said maintaining friendly
consultations is the only correct solution to the issue.
He said both sides should, on the basis of respecting the truth,
seek common ground and narrow differences to jointly push for
substantial progress in the East China Sea talks.
China and Japan have so far convened 11 rounds of talks on the
East China Sea issue.
Both sides also exchanged views on international and regional
issues of common concern, according to the Chinese Foreign
Ministry.
"They have exchanged views on the nuclear issue on Korean
Peninsula, the Myanmar issue, and East Asia cooperation," said
Mitsuo Sakaba, press secretary for the Japanese Foreign Minister at
a news briefing after the meeting.
Komura, who is on his first visit to China since taking office
as Japanese foreign minister last September, led a Japanese
delegation to participate in the first China-Japan high-level
economic dialogue held on Saturday afternoon.
The China-Japan high-level economic dialogue mechanism was
jointly launched by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and then Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan during Wen's Japan trip in April.
The dialogue serves as a forum for the discussion of major
bilateral economic concerns with focus on macroeconomic issues,
energy conservation and environmental protection, trade and
investment, and regional and international cooperation.
Before their two-hour closed-door meeting, Yang called Komura
"an old friend of the Chinese people" and has long been devoted to
promoting China-Japan relations.
"With the concerted efforts of the two sides, the first
China-Japan high-level economic dialogue would make major
achievements," Yang said.
Komura agreed with Yang and said he would work with Yang for new
contributions to the Japan-China strategic relations of mutual
benefits.
Komura and Yang also signed agreements on mutual cooperation in
criminal investigations and on Japan's final batch of yen loans to
China after their talks.
According to Sakaba, Japan will offer 46 billion yen (414
million U.S. dollars) in loans to China for the construction of
seven projects on environmental protection.
(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2007)
