Japan-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting
(Summary)
24 July 2001
On 24 July, Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka, during a visit to Vietnam to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) +3 Foreign Ministers' Meeting and other meetings, met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan of the People's Republic of China for 50 minutes (instead of the 30 minutes originally scheduled) from 13:30 to 14:20 Japan time (Attendants: Chinese side: Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and others; Japanese side: Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Kunihiko Makita and others).
The meeting was conducted in Japanese from the viewpoint of time efficiency, and a substantive part of the meeting concerned the issue regarding Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine. There were also short exchanges on issues concerning Chinese marine research vessels and naval vessels, provisional safeguard measures and official development assistance (ODA).
The outline of the meeting is as follows. (At the beginning of the meeting, Foreign Minister Tang presented Foreign Minister Tanaka with a work of Chinese calligraphy drawn by the late Chairman Sun Pinghua of the China-Japan Friendship Association, who passed away in 1997, commemorating the first election of Foreign Minister Tanaka as a member of the House of Representatives in 1993. The work was entrusted to Foreign Minister Tang by a bereaved family member of Chairman Sun.
1. Overall Japan-China Relations
Foreign Minister Tang stated that, as President Jiang Zemin had expressed to the secretaries-general of the three coalition parties earlier, the core philosophy of China's policy towards Japan in the new century was that the tradition of friendship between Japanese and Chinese people must be maintained through the generations to come, and that, because China and Japan are neighboring countries as well as major powers in Asia, the two countries should keep strong cooperation for the beautiful future of Asia under the spirit of "taking history as the mirror and looking toward the future" and "climbing high and gazing far."
Based upon this remark, Foreign Minister Tang stated that both Japan and China have consistently maintained close communication and contact since the establishment of Prime Minister Koizumi's Cabinet, and that China wished Japan to prove through action that it deals with impending issues in a reasonable manner in order to avoid making it difficult for relations between the two countries to regain their normal course of development. In addition, Foreign Minister Tang stated that since the coming year is the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-China relations, both countries should cultivate a favorable environment and atmosphere to cerebrate it.
2. Prime Minister's Visit to Yasukuni Shrine
(1) Following the above conversation, Foreign Minister Tang stated that the current issue of concern for China was the visit to Yasukuni Shrine by the Japanese Prime Minister. Foreign Minister Tang further stated that this issue shared a similar context with the history textbook issue and that Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine on 15 August would provoke strong reactions from the Chinese public. Foreign Minister Tang also said that he was concerned the basis of friendship since the normalization of the relations between Japan and China might be undermined. In addition, Foreign Minister Tang remarked, from the viewpoint of China, which is a war victim, that the visit to Yasukuni Shrine by the Prime Minister of Japan would look as if he were bowing to Class A war criminals.
(2) In response, Foreign Minister Tanaka stated that she understood well the Chinese views and that she would convey them to Prime Minister Koizumi after her return to Japan, as there still is time before 15 August. In addition, as her personal opinion, Foreign Minister Tanaka stated that a national cemetery commemorating those deceased in the war should be established in the future.
(3) Further, Foreign Minister Tang remarked that this issue was of great importance and that he would expect Japan, form a broader viewpoint, to pay attention to international aspects of this issue, such as what Japan's true national interests were, how to ensure international cooperation and how to maintain good relationships with China and the Republic of Korea.
3. Chinese Marine Research Vessels and Naval Vessels
(1) Foreign Minister Tanaka stated that although the framework of prior notification was put into practice as a result of mutual efforts, movements of Chinese research vessels not in accordance with this framework have recently been observed, and that activities of Chinese naval vessels in the sea near Japan have also been observed. Foreign Minister Tanaka further stated that concerning the sensitivity of the issues in light of Japanese sentiment, self-restraint on the Chinese side was to be requested.
(2) In response, Foreign Minister Tang stated that he understood well that these issues provoke a very sensitive response in Japan. Foreign Minister Tang also stated that China understood the importance of the framework of prior notification and that China wished to maintain this framework.
4. Provisional Safeguard Measures
Foreign Minister Tanaka remarked that, concerning the trade-related issues currently brought about between Japan and China, it was important for both countries to pursue the dialogue in a rational and constructive manner, and that she hoped the Foreign Ministry of China would convey this message to the Chinese ministries concerned, providing indirect support itself from the sidelines.
5. ODA
Foreign Minister Tanaka stated that Japan was currently struggling with a serious downturn of its economy and that the Koizumi Government was working on structural reform. Foreign Minister Tanaka also remarked and that amid such circumstances she considered it necessary to carry out comprehensive reviews of Japanese ODA policies in the future and establish new priorities. Foreign Minister Tanaka further stated that China could not be the exception to this review and that she hoped China would understand the Japanese situation.
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