China's Wu upbeat about outcome of Japan-China summit

Asian Political News, Nov 24, 2004

BEIJING, Nov. 22 Kyodo

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei appeared upbeat Monday about the results of Sunday's summit between the Japanese and Chinese leaders.

Wu also expressed hope that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will heed China's demands and stop visiting Tokyo's war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

''I think we can call (the talks) a success,'' Wu told a group of Japanese reporters visiting Beijing from Japan.

In the meeting between Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao, held on the sidelines of the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Santiago, Hu urged Koizumi to stop visiting the shrine.

Koizumi, however, stuck to his position of continuing the visits.

Wu told reporters he hopes Koizumi ''will not make the visits from next year onward.''

A number of convicted Class-A war criminals are among the Japanese war dead to whom the Shinto shrine is dedicated, and the shrine is symbolic of Japanese militarism to Asian countries that suffered Japanese aggression during World War II. These countries regard Koizumi's repeated visits to the shrine as insensitive and insulting.

In the meeting, Koizumi told Hu that the visits are intended to express sympathy to Japan's war dead and make a pledge never to fight a war again.

Wu said Koizumi's comments during the meeting were ''within expectations,'' adding the fact that the talks were held ''will have a positive impact on future bilateral ties.''

''Both sides should place importance on the outcome'' of the talks, he said.

Wu also sounded a positive note on the possibility that the next round of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons programs will be held by the end of the year.

When reporters asked if the talks will be held at the end of the year at the earliest, Wu said, ''That is too pessimistic. We can think about this in a more optimistic manner.''

Wu said that in a bid to hold the next round soon, China will send Ning Fukui, Chinese ambassador for North Korean nuclear issues, to Pyongyang in the near future.

The six-nation talks have been stalled since North Korea refused to attend the fourth round, initially scheduled to be held by the end of September, citing what it calls a ''hostile'' U.S. policy toward it.

The talks involve China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States.