Attendance of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori at the
United Nations Millennium Summit
Japan-China Leaders Meeting
(Summary)

September 7, 2000
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A leaders meeting took place between Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and President Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where they were both staying, from 18:00 to 18:30 local time on 6 September. (07:00 to 07:30 on 7 September, Japanese time) (Vice Premier Qian Qichen and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan and others were also present from the Chinese side, and Deputy Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and others were present on the Japanese side.) After the meeting, Deputy Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe held a press briefing as outlined below. There were only two points on which the leaders held discussions: (i) Japan-China relations and (ii) relations with North Korea.

1. Japan-China relations

(1) Statements by Prime Minister Mori:

1. Prime Minister Mori expressed his pleasure at meeting with President Jiang for the third time (the first time being in 1993 on the occasion of his visit to China as a member of the opposition party, at the time, and the second occasion being in 1998 on a visit to China a week before President Jiang's visit to Japan). The Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude for President Jiang's congratulatory telegraph message when he assumed the position of Prime Minister and offered thanks for the telegraph of condolences and the dispatch of Vice Premier Qian on the occasion of the funeral of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.
2. Prime Minister Mori expressed his pleasure that Japan-China relations have made great progress since the normalization of relations between Japan and China, and that the partnership of friendship and cooperation has continued to develop steadily, citing such examples as group tours to Japan from China, which are scheduled to commence soon.
3. Regarding the recent visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono to China, Prime Minister Mori expressed his satisfaction that Foreign Minister Kono had been able to meet with President Jiang and engage in a frank exchange of opinions. He also expressed his pleasure that prior to the Foreign Minister's visit the Secretary Generals of the three political parties of the government, including Secretary General Hiromu Nonaka, had paid a visit to China and had been able to engage in significant dialogue. The Prime Minister noted that he had been encouraged by the fact that on the occasion of the 5,000 member exchange mission in May headed by Minister of Transport Toshihiro Nikai, President Jiang had declared that friendly relations between Japan and China were the most important part of the bilateral relationship in his important discourse.
4. Prime Minister Mori also noted that on the occasion of the visit to Japan of Mr. Zeng Qinghong, it was in his capacity as Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party that he had welcomed Mr. Zeng, but by the time Mr. Zeng left Japan, he had been appointed Prime Minister. The Prime Minister considered it to be deeply significant that such an influential member of the Chinese Communist Party had been in Japan at such an important time.

(2) Statements by President Jiang in response to the above:

1. President Jiang noted that on the occasion of the visit to China of Foreign Minister Kono, they had been able to engage in friendly and honest discussions. He said that in this the millennial year, with the new century starting next year, the world is witnessing changes, and Asia is also progressing. The President said that both Japan and China are important countries in the region, being a developed country and the largest developing country, respectively. He noted that if the leaders of the two countries were to set their sights high and take a far-sighted viewpoint, then looking at the general situation, there would be no issues that could not be solved through discussions between the two countries.
2. President Jiang expressed his delight to be able to meet with his old friend Prime Minister Mori. He noted that on the occasion of his visit to Japan, Prime Minister Mori had taken part in the process in his capacity as Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party and they had announced the Japan-China Joint Declaration. He said that were the results of this Declaration and other to be further developed, the future for the friendly relations between the two countries would be very bright. He said that the forthcoming visit to Japan of Premier Zhu Rongji would further develop bilateral relations.
3. President Jiang noted that on the occasion of the 5,000 member exchange mission to China in May with Transport Minister Nikai, both he and Vice Premier Qian had attended and that he was grateful for Japan having dispatched such a group to China. He noted that the video taken at that time makes the significance of friendship all the more easy to understand.

2. Relations with North Korea

(1) Statements by Prime Minister Mori:

1. Prime Minister Mori noted that an important task is the normalization of relations with North Korea, adding that it is important not only for Japan-North Korea relations but also for the rest of Asia. He noted that normalization talks are progressing, but that there has not yet been an opportunity for leader-level discussions. He asked President Jiang for his support in his endeavors towards normalization.
2. Prime Minister Mori noted that he remembered on his previous visit to Beijing he had asked President Jiang whether he had ever met with General Secretary Kim Jong Il, to which President Jiang had replied that General Secretary Kim Jong Il had visited China together with Kim Il Song and that there had been no real conversation between Mr. Kim Jong Il and President Jiang. He welcomed General Secretary Kim Jong Il's subsequent emergence onto the international stage.

(2) Statements by President Jiang in response to the above:

1. President Jiang noted that he had not had much conversation with Mr. Kim Jong Il on the occasion of his visit to China with Mr. Kim Il Sung and that he had subsequently gone into mourning. However, on the occasion of his visit to China before the North-South Summit, President Jiang noted that he had been most vigorous and had gained the impression that he was a very astute man. It was a case of "seeing is believing."
2. President Jiang expressed his pleasure that peace negotiations are progressing between North and South Korea.
3. President Jiang expressed the hope that normalization negotiations between Japan and North Korea would continue to progress in the direction that Prime Minister Mori had described.