ID :
58277
Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/58277
The shortlink copeid
Japan, China agree on cooperation to prevent swine flu spread+
BEIJING, April 29 Kyodo - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao agreed Wednesday to cooperate to prevent the swine flu epidemic from spreading and to make contributions to help the world overcome the current economic crisis, Japanese government officials said.
Wen, meanwhile, reminded Japan about the sensitivity of issues related to
history at their talks in Beijing, which took place shortly after Aso drew
China's ire by sending an offering to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
Aso arrived in the Chinese capital earlier Wednesday for a two-day visit to the
country. He is scheduled to hold separate talks with Chinese President Hu
Jintao on Thursday afternoon.
In the talks at the Great Hall of the People, Aso and Wen ''agreed to exchange
information on swine flu in a timely manner and cooperate over prevention
measures as needed,'' a senior Japanese government official said.
Swine flu has emerged as a topic for the countries' leaders as the virus which
has killed more than 150 in Mexico has been confirmed to have spread to other
areas.
The World Health Organization raised its alert level Monday to phase 4. The
phase is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of the virus and
can cause community-level outbreaks.
On the global economic crisis, the two leaders ''agreed to boost domestic
demand and to oppose protectionism,'' the Japanese official said. They also
plan to ''continue making contributions to the world economy,'' he said.
Aso's offering to Yasukuni surfaced shortly before his China trip, prompting
the Chinese to express ''grave concern and dissatisfaction.''
The shrine, which honors war dead, is seen by Tokyo's Asian neighbors as a
symbol of Japan's militarist past. It has been a source of discord in relations
between Tokyo and Beijing.
In Wednesday's talks, Wen told Aso that the history issue is ''very sensitive''
and that Yasukuni is particularly a topic that impacts public sentiment, a
separate Japanese official said.
The Chinese premier expressed hope that Japan will ''appropriately deal'' with
the issue, the official quoted Wen as saying.
Aso replied that Japan's position has not changed from the view expressed in a
landmark 1995 statement, in which then Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi
Murayama apologized and expressed remorse for Japan's colonial rule and
atrocities before and during World War II.
''Bilateral relations have improved and developed through both sides' joint
efforts,'' Wen said at the outset of the talks that was open to the press.
''This is not easy to achieve, and the two sides should treasure and maintain
this,'' he said.
The two leaders also agreed that countries need to deal with North Korea
without overreacting, after the country announced its withdrawal from the
six-party denuclearization talks.
Pyongyang had announced the pullout in response to the U.N. Security Council's
condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch.
Japan asked China, the chair of the six-party talks and Pyongyang's traditional
ally, to play a role in bringing North Korea back to the talks ''at an
appropriate time,'' the officials said.
Pyongyang warned Wednesday it will carry out further nuclear tests, following
one it conducted in 2006, if the U.N. Security Council does not issue an
apology.
Among the bilateral issues discussed was a plan by the countries to carry out a
joint gas exploration project in the disputed East China Sea.
Aso said it was important to realize negotiations for the plan, while Wen
replied that both countries need to communicate at the working level, according
to the officials.
Aso also emphasized the need to solve food-poisoning cases in Japan caused by
tainted dumplings imported from China, while Wen also acknowledged the
importance of solving the case at the earliest date possible, they said.
The two countries also agreed on a set of projects in which Japan will provide
technical assistance for China to promote the country's environment protection
and energy conservation.
It includes the cleaning up of lakes and the promotion of recycling in China,
according to a list of the projects provided by the Japanese government.
==Kyodo
2009-04-29 23:44:23
Wen, meanwhile, reminded Japan about the sensitivity of issues related to
history at their talks in Beijing, which took place shortly after Aso drew
China's ire by sending an offering to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
Aso arrived in the Chinese capital earlier Wednesday for a two-day visit to the
country. He is scheduled to hold separate talks with Chinese President Hu
Jintao on Thursday afternoon.
In the talks at the Great Hall of the People, Aso and Wen ''agreed to exchange
information on swine flu in a timely manner and cooperate over prevention
measures as needed,'' a senior Japanese government official said.
Swine flu has emerged as a topic for the countries' leaders as the virus which
has killed more than 150 in Mexico has been confirmed to have spread to other
areas.
The World Health Organization raised its alert level Monday to phase 4. The
phase is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of the virus and
can cause community-level outbreaks.
On the global economic crisis, the two leaders ''agreed to boost domestic
demand and to oppose protectionism,'' the Japanese official said. They also
plan to ''continue making contributions to the world economy,'' he said.
Aso's offering to Yasukuni surfaced shortly before his China trip, prompting
the Chinese to express ''grave concern and dissatisfaction.''
The shrine, which honors war dead, is seen by Tokyo's Asian neighbors as a
symbol of Japan's militarist past. It has been a source of discord in relations
between Tokyo and Beijing.
In Wednesday's talks, Wen told Aso that the history issue is ''very sensitive''
and that Yasukuni is particularly a topic that impacts public sentiment, a
separate Japanese official said.
The Chinese premier expressed hope that Japan will ''appropriately deal'' with
the issue, the official quoted Wen as saying.
Aso replied that Japan's position has not changed from the view expressed in a
landmark 1995 statement, in which then Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi
Murayama apologized and expressed remorse for Japan's colonial rule and
atrocities before and during World War II.
''Bilateral relations have improved and developed through both sides' joint
efforts,'' Wen said at the outset of the talks that was open to the press.
''This is not easy to achieve, and the two sides should treasure and maintain
this,'' he said.
The two leaders also agreed that countries need to deal with North Korea
without overreacting, after the country announced its withdrawal from the
six-party denuclearization talks.
Pyongyang had announced the pullout in response to the U.N. Security Council's
condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch.
Japan asked China, the chair of the six-party talks and Pyongyang's traditional
ally, to play a role in bringing North Korea back to the talks ''at an
appropriate time,'' the officials said.
Pyongyang warned Wednesday it will carry out further nuclear tests, following
one it conducted in 2006, if the U.N. Security Council does not issue an
apology.
Among the bilateral issues discussed was a plan by the countries to carry out a
joint gas exploration project in the disputed East China Sea.
Aso said it was important to realize negotiations for the plan, while Wen
replied that both countries need to communicate at the working level, according
to the officials.
Aso also emphasized the need to solve food-poisoning cases in Japan caused by
tainted dumplings imported from China, while Wen also acknowledged the
importance of solving the case at the earliest date possible, they said.
The two countries also agreed on a set of projects in which Japan will provide
technical assistance for China to promote the country's environment protection
and energy conservation.
It includes the cleaning up of lakes and the promotion of recycling in China,
according to a list of the projects provided by the Japanese government.
==Kyodo
2009-04-29 23:44:23
