ID :
77999
Wed, 09/02/2009 - 15:06
Auther :

China ready to work with new Japan gov't to advance ties+

BEIJING, Sept. 1 Kyodo - China voiced eagerness Tuesday to work with an administration led by Yukio Hatoyama, who is certain to become Japan's next prime minister following the Democratic Party of Japan's triumph in Sunday's general election, with a view to upgrading relations between the two Asian economic giants.

''We are ready to work with Japan to strengthen our bilateral cooperation, and
keep up this...momentum of high-level exchanges to further promote our
bilateral relations and jointly contribute to peace and development in Asia,''
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a news conference, when asked
about the poll result.
''China and Japan are important neighbors to each other, and we both are major
countries in Asia,'' she said.
Jiang, however, said it is ''premature'' to think about a summit between
Hatoyama and Chinese leaders.
Jiang did not comment directly on Hatoyama's pledge that he will not visit the
war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a politically sensitive matter in
bilateral ties, choosing instead to repeat Beijing's stand that acting
''responsibly'' on the issue would lead to better ties between Japan and other
Asian countries.
''Our position on the historical issue is quite clear. We believe that Japan
should treat the historical issue responsibly...(which) is conducive to
improving its relations with other Asian countries.''
Yasukuni Shine honors convicted war criminals along with Japanese war dead and
is seen by Japan's Asian neighbors as a symbol of the country's militarist
past. Past visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders such as former Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi soured relations with China and South Korea.
==Kyodo

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