ID :
16226
Mon, 08/18/2008 - 10:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/16226
The shortlink copeid
Japan, China agree to boost cooperation over food poisoning cases
BEIJING, Aug. 17 Kyodo - Japan and China agreed Sunday to bolster cooperation between the countries' investigative authorities to solve food poisoning cases involving Chinese-made dumplings as soon as possible, a Japanese government official said.
In separate meetings with China's State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura also agreed on the need for the two nations to maintain top-level exchanges, according to theofficial.
''The dumpling issue is a very important problem from the point of view of the feelings of the two countries,'' Komura told reporters at a Beijing hotel afterhis meeting with Dai.
''We agreed to speed up cooperation and exchange of opinions between thecountries' investigative authorities,'' he said.
Ten people in Japan fell ill between December and January after eating pesticide-tainted frozen meat dumplings made in China. The two countries disagree on where the contamination occurred, with each side suggesting that ithad taken place in the other country.
In early July, China told Japan that food poisoning cases had also occurred in China involving the same type of dumplings -- a revelation some believe couldmark a turning point in the dispute.
Yang told Komura in their talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse that he wants to have the relevant authorities contact Japan in the near future, according tothe official.
The two sides agreed that maintaining exchanges between the leaders of the twocountries is important to continue developing ties, the official said.
The Japanese minister also referred to the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea in his meeting with Dai, urging Beijing to exert leadership at a time when the process is facing the question of how to check nuclearinformation provided by Pyongyang.
Dai replied that while the six-party talks are facing ''slight problems,'' hebelieves they can be overcome, according to the official.
The six-party negotiations -- chaired by China and involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia -- are struggling to come up with a regimefor verifying North Korea's nuclear declaration.
Komura also asked for China's support in Japan's efforts to solve bilateral issues with North Korea, particularly their dispute over Japanese nationalsabducted by Pyongyang's agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
''I asked for cooperation over Japan-North Korea issues, especially over theabduction issue,'' Komura said to reporters.
The Beijing meeting came after Japan and North Korea agreed last week on the terms of the reinvestigation Pyongyang has promised to conduct on the abductioncases.
Under the deal reached in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, North Korea said it would try its best to complete the fresh investigation into thecases by the fall.
Komura arrived late Saturday for a one-and-a-half-day trip that also includedvisits to Olympic events, including the women's marathon.
The minister is scheduled to return to Japan on Monday.
In separate meetings with China's State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura also agreed on the need for the two nations to maintain top-level exchanges, according to theofficial.
''The dumpling issue is a very important problem from the point of view of the feelings of the two countries,'' Komura told reporters at a Beijing hotel afterhis meeting with Dai.
''We agreed to speed up cooperation and exchange of opinions between thecountries' investigative authorities,'' he said.
Ten people in Japan fell ill between December and January after eating pesticide-tainted frozen meat dumplings made in China. The two countries disagree on where the contamination occurred, with each side suggesting that ithad taken place in the other country.
In early July, China told Japan that food poisoning cases had also occurred in China involving the same type of dumplings -- a revelation some believe couldmark a turning point in the dispute.
Yang told Komura in their talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse that he wants to have the relevant authorities contact Japan in the near future, according tothe official.
The two sides agreed that maintaining exchanges between the leaders of the twocountries is important to continue developing ties, the official said.
The Japanese minister also referred to the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea in his meeting with Dai, urging Beijing to exert leadership at a time when the process is facing the question of how to check nuclearinformation provided by Pyongyang.
Dai replied that while the six-party talks are facing ''slight problems,'' hebelieves they can be overcome, according to the official.
The six-party negotiations -- chaired by China and involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia -- are struggling to come up with a regimefor verifying North Korea's nuclear declaration.
Komura also asked for China's support in Japan's efforts to solve bilateral issues with North Korea, particularly their dispute over Japanese nationalsabducted by Pyongyang's agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
''I asked for cooperation over Japan-North Korea issues, especially over theabduction issue,'' Komura said to reporters.
The Beijing meeting came after Japan and North Korea agreed last week on the terms of the reinvestigation Pyongyang has promised to conduct on the abductioncases.
Under the deal reached in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, North Korea said it would try its best to complete the fresh investigation into thecases by the fall.
Komura arrived late Saturday for a one-and-a-half-day trip that also includedvisits to Olympic events, including the women's marathon.
The minister is scheduled to return to Japan on Monday.
