Japan-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting
On the Occasion of the Third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM III)
(Summary)
20 October 2000
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
On 20 October (local time (same as Japan) 10:37 - 11:37), Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono, visiting the Republic of Korea (ROK) to attend the Third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM III), attended a Japan-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting (summary as follows below). (Attendants: Japanese side: Foreign Minister Kono, Director-General for Press and Public Relations Ryuichiro Yamazaki, Director-General of the Asian Affairs Bureau Kunihito Makita, and others; Chinese side: Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs Cheng Yonghua, and others.)
During the meeting, views were exchanged on (1) the results of the visit to Japan by Premier Zhu Rongji of China (including issues which were not fully discussed during the visit); (2) the situation on the Korean Peninsula; (3) the visit to Japan by Mr. Lee Teng-hui; and (4) Theater Missile Defense (TMD).
1. Results of the visit to Japan by Premier Zhu
(1) Foreign Minister Kono stated that the visit to Japan by Premier Zhu had been a great success, noting that the Japanese people's familiarity with Premier Zhu the person had deepened as a result of Premier Zhu's own efforts, for example his television dialogue with Japanese citizens and his meeting with businesspersons. He also expressed his pleasure at seeing progress being made with respect to the 33 cooperative areas between Japan and China issued during the visit to Japan by President Jiang Zemin. For example, Foreign Minister Kono stated that in regard to security and defense exchanges, both sides had shared the view to realizing mutual visits of naval vessels and that he wished this to be implemented promptly. He further expressed his pleasure at the consent to convene a Japan-China-Republic of Korea Trilateral Summit Meeting within the forum of the ASEAN + 3 Summit Meeting this November.
Foreign Minister Tang introduced that Premier Zhu, during his meeting with President of the Republic of Korea Kim Dae Jung, had summed up the visit to Japan as having achieved "three mutual elements and two 'deepenings'." The three mutual elements were mutual understanding, mutual forgiveness, and mutual trust, while the two "deepenings" were the deepening of friendship and the deepening of cooperation. He noted that the efforts of Premier Zhu, who spent time undertaking activities in various areas, had also contributed to the positive results of the visit, and that the Chinese side, for its part, would also take an active approach to the Japan-China-Republic of Korea Trilateral Summit Meeting to be held on the occasion of ASEAN + 3.
(2) Both sides shared the view that the next meeting in regard to Japan-China consultations on mutual prior notification for marine research activities would be held during the course of October.
(3) With respect to IT and World Trade Organization (WTO) issues that were not touched upon during the Japan-China Summit Meeting due to time constraints, Foreign Minister Kono expressed his desire to dispatch a mission for policy dialogue to China as early as possible next year in order to jointly produce ideas on Japan-China cooperation, and said that procedures for issuing business visas to Chinese persons would be relaxed in order to promote Japan-China industrial cooperation in IT. In regard to the WTO, Foreign Minister Kono stated that Japan consistently supported China's accession to the WTO, and expressed the wish not only to extend technical support to the newly acceding China but also to implement various policy dialogues.
Foreign Minister Tang pointed out that Premier Zhu too had an interest in and placed priority on IT, and expressed the desire to make an IT cooperative project between Japan and China in the 21st century. On China's accession to the WTO, he expressed appreciation for Japan's assistance and support, commented that the present WTO negotiations were in their final stage, and asked for Japan's continuous support.
2. Situation on the Korean Peninsula
Foreign Minister Kono said that every time he came to the Republic of Korea, he felt that the ROK was overcoming its economic crisis and bolstering its self-confidence. Foreign Minister Tang responded that in the series of meetings with the ROK side, the ROK side had considered how to make the ceasefire mechanism on the 38th Parallel a lasting one, thought that the Quadrilateral Meetings could be reactivated in Geneva in the near future if there were no problems with North Korea and the United States, and stated that one of the themes for the meetings could be how to build a peace mechanism. Foreign Minister Tang also commented that the pace of improvement in US-North Korea relations had been greater than he envisaged.
3. Visit to Japan by Mr. Lee Teng-hui
(1) Foreign Minister Tang expressed his surprise at hearing from a Japanese professor soon after he left Japan that Mr. Lee Teng-hui had applied for a visa, but also took note of the fact that in a statement made in the Czech Republic, Mr. Lee had said that he did not intend to do so. Foreign Minister Tang also said that in any case, China was concerned about this matter, and, given the sensitive nature of the issue, he wanted the Japanese side to respond appropriately.
(2) Foreign Minister Kono responded that as Foreign Minister Tang had said, Mr. Lee was said to have no intention of applying for a visa, and that Japan as always would respond to this matter in accordance with the principles set out in the Japan-China Joint Communique.
4.Theater Missile Defense (TMD)
(1) Foreign Minister Tang stated that TMD was an issue in which the general Chinese public were concerned about Japan. He stated that since at present the situation had been alleviated, there were no longer grounds for TMD, expressed concern over whether TMD also included Taiwan, and asked for an exchange of views within the framework of Security Dialogue and other fora between Japan and China.
(2) Foreign Minister Kono responded that from such a perspective, it was a positive move that agreement had been reached during the recent visit to Japan by Premier Zhu on the mutual visits of naval vessels. He added that while he did not talk in detail on the issue that day, domestically in Japan there were also concerns about China's military expenditure, and that Japan would like to discuss these matters at the Security Dialogue.
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