Matsumoto embarks on China trip, to discuss regional security+

TOKYO, July 3 Kyodo -
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto left Sunday for a two-day trip to China, during which he is expected to discuss with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi regional security issues such as recently renewed Japan-U.S. strategic goals that touch on China's military buildup and its relations with Taiwan.
Matsumoto, who will meet with Yang and other senior Chinese officials on Monday, will also seek further easing of restrictions on Japanese food imports imposed due to radiation contamination fears stemming from the ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japanese officials said.
He will likely refer to China's recent showdown with Vietnam and the Philippines over territorial disputes in the South China Sea and urge Beijing to honor the principle of freedom of navigation in line with international law, they said.
An updated set of ''common strategic objectives'' agreed upon in late June by Japanese and U.S. foreign and defense ministers seek greater transparency from China in its military modernization and activities, as well as encouraging the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues through dialogue.
The goals also call for the maintenance of ''safety and security of the maritime domain by defending the principle of freedom of navigation,'' although they do not make direct mention of the South China Sea.
Beijing has reacted against the Japan-U.S. objectives, saying the two countries' security alliance should not go beyond its bilateral scope and that China's security policy is ''defensive in nature.''
Matsumoto is also expected to bring up the issue of how to deal with North Korea and promote negotiations toward resuming the stalled six-party talks on denuclearizing the North, which involve the two Koreas, Japan, China, the United States and Russia.
Turning to bilateral ties that were severely strained over ship collisions near disputed islands in the East China Sea last September, the Japanese minister will seek to improve ties in the run-up to next year's 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, the officials said.
Matsumoto's trip is the first visit to China by a Japanese foreign minister since last August, when then Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada traveled to Beijing for a high-level economic dialogue.
His trip is also intended to follow up on accords reached by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in May in Tokyo stating that the two countries will cooperate in reconstruction efforts following the March 11 quake and tsunami that devastated eastern and northeastern Japan, they said.