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Leaders of China and Japan in talks
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-24 17:06
Chinese President Hu Jintao met Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi on Saturday for talks aimed at patching up relations that have
plummeted to their worst in three decades.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi (L) and Chinese President Hu Jintao shake hands before the start
of their meeting at the conclusion of the Asian-Africa leaders summit in
Jakarta, April 23, 2005. The ice-breaking talks took place a day after
Koizumi apologized for Japan's past atrocities in Asia.
[AP] |
The talks were taking place in Jakarta at the end of meetings between Asian
and African leaders, a day after Koizumi made an unusually public apology for
Japan's past atrocities in Asia.
Asked how the meeting went as he left a Jakarta hotel where the talks took
place, Koizumi said: "Very good." He made no other remarks.
Kong Quan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, earlier told reporters
Beijing wanted friendly relations with Japan, but added Hu was expected to tell
Koizumi that Tokyo must face up to its wartime history for good ties to exist.
"The development of relations must have a basis. This basis is to take
history as a mirror and face the future and I think President Hu Jintao will
reiterate this point," Kong said.
"We hope leaders of the two countries can ... eliminate the negative impact
created by the erroneous actions of the Japanese side so that Sino-Japanese
relations can move forward smoothly under a healthy foundation."
Ties between the economic powerhouses have deteriorated to their worst since
the normalization of relations in 1972, putting at risk economic links worth
$212 billion in annual trade.
There have been violent anti-Japan demonstrations in China over school
history textbooks that critics say sugarcoat its wartime history and over other
irritants, including Tokyo's campaign for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security
Council.
Beijing says 35 million Chinese were killed or wounded during Japan's 1931-45
occupation of much of the country.
On Friday, Koizumi apologized in a speech before 100 Asian and African
leaders, including Hu, for the "tremendous damage and suffering" caused by
Japan's wartime past.
Asked about Chinese government comments that action was more important than
words, Koizumi, speaking during a visit to Indonesia's tsunami-hit Aceh
province, said:
"In the last 60 years we have became an economic superpower and not a
military state. (We are a) peaceful nation reflecting on the experience of the
war."
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