Cool reaction in Beijing to Abe's early summit plea
Source: Agencies |
July 27, 2013, Saturday
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JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday called for a leaders' summit or a foreign ministers' meeting between Japan and China as soon as possible, drawing a cool reaction from Beijing.
Sino-Japanese ties, often fragile, have been seriously strained since last September when a territorial row over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea flared. Concerns that the conservative Japanese leader wants to recast Japan's wartime history with a less apologetic tone have added to the tensions.
"I think there should be a summit meeting and also a foreign ministers meeting as soon as possible ... I think such meetings should be held without pre-conditions," Abe said in response to a question at an academic conference in Singapore, the second stop on a trip that includes Malaysia and the Philippines.
China's foreign ministry said yesterday its door was always open for talks, but that the problem lay in Japan's attitude.
"The crux of the matter at present is Japan's unwillingness to face up to the serious problems which exist in Sino-Japan relations and it is avoiding having earnest talks and consultations with China," the ministry said.
Japan should "stop using empty slogans about so-called dialogue to gloss over disagreements."
It hoped Japan would respect the concerns of neighboring countries and "take the path of peaceful development and not artificially create and exaggerate tensions."
In his remarks, Abe also said that ties between Asia's two biggest economies were vital. Both, he said, benefitted from strong economic ties.
Abe returned to office last December and cemented his grip on power in election to parliament's upper house last weekend.
Attention has been focused on how he would now deal with thorny problems such as frayed ties with China and South Korea and how he would flesh out plans to revive Japan's stagnant economy.
The Japanese leader has taken a tough line in the territorial dispute.
But in his address to the conference, he added: "I am looking forward to the day when I can have amicable discussions with the leaders of China, an important neighboring country for Japan in ... (a) spirit of being at ease with each other."
Tensions rose last year after Japan "purchased" some of the Diaoyu Islands from so-called private owners.
Chinese and Japanese ships and aircraft have been playing a cat-and-mouse game near the islands, raising worries about an accidental clash that could escalate.
The United States has affirmed that the islands are included in its commitment under a US-Japan security treaty.
But after Abe met US Vice-President Joe Biden, who was also visiting Singapore, it restated its wish for tensions to subside.
"On regional security affairs, the vice president reaffirmed the US position on the East China Sea, including our alliance commitments, and highlighted the US view that all sides should take steps to reduce tensions," the White House said in a statement after the meeting.
Sino-Japanese ties, often fragile, have been seriously strained since last September when a territorial row over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea flared. Concerns that the conservative Japanese leader wants to recast Japan's wartime history with a less apologetic tone have added to the tensions.
"I think there should be a summit meeting and also a foreign ministers meeting as soon as possible ... I think such meetings should be held without pre-conditions," Abe said in response to a question at an academic conference in Singapore, the second stop on a trip that includes Malaysia and the Philippines.
China's foreign ministry said yesterday its door was always open for talks, but that the problem lay in Japan's attitude.
"The crux of the matter at present is Japan's unwillingness to face up to the serious problems which exist in Sino-Japan relations and it is avoiding having earnest talks and consultations with China," the ministry said.
Japan should "stop using empty slogans about so-called dialogue to gloss over disagreements."
It hoped Japan would respect the concerns of neighboring countries and "take the path of peaceful development and not artificially create and exaggerate tensions."
In his remarks, Abe also said that ties between Asia's two biggest economies were vital. Both, he said, benefitted from strong economic ties.
Abe returned to office last December and cemented his grip on power in election to parliament's upper house last weekend.
Attention has been focused on how he would now deal with thorny problems such as frayed ties with China and South Korea and how he would flesh out plans to revive Japan's stagnant economy.
The Japanese leader has taken a tough line in the territorial dispute.
But in his address to the conference, he added: "I am looking forward to the day when I can have amicable discussions with the leaders of China, an important neighboring country for Japan in ... (a) spirit of being at ease with each other."
Tensions rose last year after Japan "purchased" some of the Diaoyu Islands from so-called private owners.
Chinese and Japanese ships and aircraft have been playing a cat-and-mouse game near the islands, raising worries about an accidental clash that could escalate.
The United States has affirmed that the islands are included in its commitment under a US-Japan security treaty.
But after Abe met US Vice-President Joe Biden, who was also visiting Singapore, it restated its wish for tensions to subside.
"On regional security affairs, the vice president reaffirmed the US position on the East China Sea, including our alliance commitments, and highlighted the US view that all sides should take steps to reduce tensions," the White House said in a statement after the meeting.
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