Overview of Japan-China Summit Meeting
May 31, 2010
(Japanese)
(Photos: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama held talks with Mr. Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes beginning at 9:50 AM JST on May 31 (participants from the Chinese side: Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Zhang Ping, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission; Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce; Xie Fuzhan, Director of the Research Office of the State Council; Qiu Xiaoxiong, Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council and Director of the Premier's Office; Zhang Zhijun, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; Zhao Shaohua, Vice Minister of Culture; Cheng Yonghua, Ambassador to Japan, and others; participants from the Japanese side: Naoto Kan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; Hirofumi Hirano, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Masayuki Naoshima, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Seiji Maehara, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Yorihisa Matsuno, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Yuji Miyamoto, Ambassador to China, and others). After the meeting, memorandums (Memorandum on Japan-China Food Safety Promotion Initiative, Memorandum on Regularizing Japan-China Comprehensive Energy Conservation and Environment Forum, Memorandum of on Continuation of Energy Conservation Human Resource Development, and Memorandum on Establishment of an E-commerce Transaction Policy Council) were signed in the presence of both leaders.
1. Japan-China Relations
Prime Minister Hatoyama welcomed the visit of Premier Wen, noting that he would like to take the opportunity to exchange views on materializing the "Mutually Beneficial Relationship based on Common Strategic Interests." Prime Minister Hatoyama also congratulated the Chinese side on the opening of Expo 2010 Shanghai, expressing his will to continue high-level exchanges during the latter half of this year, including his visit to the Expo, and to further develop the "Mutually Beneficial Relationship based on Common Strategic Interests." Premier Wen expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome from Japan, and noted that China attaches great importance to Japan-China relations as a focus of its diplomacy and that he would like to work together with Prime Minister Hatoyama in order to further develop the "Mutually Beneficial Relationship based on Common Strategic Interests" to a higher level. In addition, Premier Wen suggested an active use of a hotline, and both agreed to have telephone conferences in the future to maintain close communication.
2. People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges
(1) Enriching youth and other exchanges
Prime Minister Hatoyama expressed that exchanges between the two countries have been active, including youth exchanges involving 4,000 people each year, as well as Japan's invitation of 700 young journalists and researchers to the country. He also extended an invitation to senior officials from the Qinghai Province in China to Japan in mid-July to help the province's earthquake reconstruction efforts. Premier Wen conveyed his gratitude for this and agreed on the importance of youth and other exchanges. Premier Wen expressed that China would like to invite media-related personnel and social science researchers (100 people each year for five years) to the country, as well as 1,000 young people to the Expo 2010 Shanghai. He added that he would also like to extend an invitation to representatives from Japan's disaster relief and medical teams that took part in support activities after the Great Sichuan Earthquake, and Prime Minister Hatoyama welcomed these proposals.
(2) Promoting tourism
Prime Minister Hatoyama explained Japan's decision to ease the conditions for visa approval for independent tourists from China beginning from July 1 in order to support people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Premier Wen greatly welcomed the proposal and expressed his gratitude.
(3) Promoting cultural exchanges
Premier Wen stated that he watched the movie Okuribito (Departures) before making his visit and proposed that Japan and China hold a "Movie and TV Drama Week" as well as an "Anime Festival" in order to facilitate mutual understanding between the two countries. Prime Minister Hatoyama responded that he would like to make concrete efforts in order to materialize the Premier's proposals.
3. Expanding Japan-China Economic and Trade-related Cooperation
(1) Japan-China Food Safety Promotion Initiative
Prime Minister Hatoyama welcomed the signing of the Memorandum on Japan-China Food Safety Promotion Initiative, which was agreed on between the two leaders in Beijing last year. Premier Wen shared the view and noted that he would like to promote cooperation between Japan and China in this field.
(2) Japan-China cooperation in the energy conservation / environment sector and e-commerce, etc.
Prime Minister Hatoyama stated that further cooperation in the field of energy conservation / environment and development of the e-commerce sector, is important for the advancement of Japan-China relations, congratulating the Chinese side on the signing of the memorandums between ministers in charge. Premier Wen shared the view with him.
4. Issues and Cooperation between Japan and China
(1)Resource Exploration in the East China Sea
In response to calls from the Japanese side, Premier Wen expressed that he would like to execute the 2008 agreement, and both agreed to commence negotiations on the international agreement in the near future. Prime Minister Hatoyama expressed that he would like to make the East China Sea a "sea of friendship" through this.
(2)Maritime activities
Prime Minister Hatoyama stated that recent Chinese behavior in Japan's surrounding seas is causing Japanese concerns and that the leaders must reaffirm their shared recognition that the sea should be made a "sea of peace, cooperation, and friendship," demanding the prevention of recurrences of such behavior.
(3) Japan-China Search and Rescue (SAR) Agreement / Defense authority hotline, etc.
Both leaders agreed on promptly constructing maritime communications mechanisms, including the early conclusion of the Japan-China SAR Agreement as well as the establishment of a defense authority hotline.
5. Sinking of an ROK Navy Patrol Vessel (small meeting held at the beginning of the summit meeting)
Prime Minister Hatoyama conveyed Japan's stance on this issue, expressing the need to strongly criticize North Korea in accordance with the rules of the international community. Both leaders agreed to continue close consultation on future responses.
(Ends)
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