China frowned on Taiwan's efforts to invite former Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi to visit the island province, and urged Japan yesterday to be
"on high alert" to such an invitation.
Japan's Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi waves goodbye to staff in his official residence as he
leaves his office in Tokyo September 26, 2006.
[Reuters] |
Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday formally invited Koizumi to visit
the island. China sees such practices as separatist activities, according to
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.
"We oppose Taiwan authorities' activities of separating the motherland on the
international stage in any name or with any excuses," Qin said at a regular news
briefing, "We hope the Japanese side can be on high alert to this." He urged
Japan to handle the question of Taiwan properly under the one-China principle.
Koizumi remains a member of the Japanese parliament after handing over the
prime minister's reins to Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.
Discussing the prospects of a summit between China and Japan, Qin said that
the Chinese Government attaches importance to relations with Japan and is
willing to make joint efforts with Japan to improve and push Sino-Japanese
relations.
"As for a summit meeting between the two leaders, our stance has been
consistent and clear," said Qin at the briefing, without elaborating.
New Japanese Prime Minister Abe and President of Republic of Korea (ROK) Roh
Moo-hyun held a 15-minute phone conversation yesterday, agreeing to meet at an
early date to improve strained ties.
China and the ROK had shunned summits with Abe's predecessor, Koizumi, over
his pilgrimages to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japanese war criminals and
war dead.
Qin yesterday criticized Japan's new defence chief Fumio Kyuma for his
remarks about so called China-threat.
Kyuma was quoted on Wednesday, one day after being named to the post in Abe's
cabinet, as saying that China's increasing military spending posed a threat to
Japan.
"China sticks to the road of peaceful development, China's development is not
a threat to any country," said Qin.
The spokesman yesterday said that Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, who
is China's chief representative on Six-Party Talks, would visit Seoul from
Friday to Sunday.
"He will exchange views with the ROK side on promoting the resumption of the
Six-Party Talks and other issues of mutual concern," said Qin.
ROK Foreign Ministry also confirmed the visit and added Wu would also discuss
a planned summit meeting between the leaders of the two countries in October.
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