'Insult' threatens China and Japan leaders' talks
Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily |
October 22, 2010, Friday
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A SENIOR Chinese official lashed out at Japan's foreign minister for a reported insult yesterday, saying a planned meeting between leaders of the two countries was uncertain.
China broke off ministerial-level contacts with Japan after Tokyo detained a Chinese fishing boat captain whose trawler collided with two Japanese patrol boats near China's Diaoyu Islands in East China Sea.
Japan eventually released the captain and said this week that the two sides were trying to set up formal talks between their leaders on the sidelines of the October 28-30 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.
But China's Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told a news conference yesterday that whether Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan have a bilateral meeting during the summit in Hanoi rested on creating a "suitable atmosphere," and Beijing holds Tokyo responsible for not doing that.
Japan's Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said that China's reaction to the boat issue was "hysterical."
Hu characterized the comments as "provocative" and an attack on China. "We hope that Japan and China can both come together and take practical steps to show their sincerity in seeking to improve relations, rather than continuing to make remarks that fly in the face of that, and doing things that fly in the face of that," Hu said.
Hu said that Maehara had on October 15 undercut efforts to repair ties by saying that there was no need to rush to hold the leaders' summit.
"To every day make speeches attacking China and to go so far as uttering words that should never come from the mouth of a diplomat is something that, well, I don't wish to add comment because that's not our style," said Hu.
"When I say we need an atmosphere, need to create conditions (for the meeting), I have a basis for it."
Also yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said that China and Japan have no secret agreement concerning the Diaoyu Islands issue.
Ma's remarks came after media reports said Japanese government sources had revealed that China and Japan secretly reached a compromise on the Diaoyu Islands issue while Junichiro Koizumi was Japanese prime minister. The sources said Japan agreed in the deal not to detain Chinese citizens setting foot on the islands while China promised to restrain Chinese vessels which voluntarily defend the Diaoyu from approaching the isles.
"There is absolutely no secret agreement. It is nothing but a slanderous rumor which not only misleads the public but further jeopardizes the political mutual trust between China and Japan," Ma said.
China broke off ministerial-level contacts with Japan after Tokyo detained a Chinese fishing boat captain whose trawler collided with two Japanese patrol boats near China's Diaoyu Islands in East China Sea.
Japan eventually released the captain and said this week that the two sides were trying to set up formal talks between their leaders on the sidelines of the October 28-30 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.
But China's Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told a news conference yesterday that whether Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan have a bilateral meeting during the summit in Hanoi rested on creating a "suitable atmosphere," and Beijing holds Tokyo responsible for not doing that.
Japan's Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said that China's reaction to the boat issue was "hysterical."
Hu characterized the comments as "provocative" and an attack on China. "We hope that Japan and China can both come together and take practical steps to show their sincerity in seeking to improve relations, rather than continuing to make remarks that fly in the face of that, and doing things that fly in the face of that," Hu said.
Hu said that Maehara had on October 15 undercut efforts to repair ties by saying that there was no need to rush to hold the leaders' summit.
"To every day make speeches attacking China and to go so far as uttering words that should never come from the mouth of a diplomat is something that, well, I don't wish to add comment because that's not our style," said Hu.
"When I say we need an atmosphere, need to create conditions (for the meeting), I have a basis for it."
Also yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said that China and Japan have no secret agreement concerning the Diaoyu Islands issue.
Ma's remarks came after media reports said Japanese government sources had revealed that China and Japan secretly reached a compromise on the Diaoyu Islands issue while Junichiro Koizumi was Japanese prime minister. The sources said Japan agreed in the deal not to detain Chinese citizens setting foot on the islands while China promised to restrain Chinese vessels which voluntarily defend the Diaoyu from approaching the isles.
"There is absolutely no secret agreement. It is nothing but a slanderous rumor which not only misleads the public but further jeopardizes the political mutual trust between China and Japan," Ma said.
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