Dinner for Mr. Qian Qichen, Vice Premier of China,
Hosted by Mr. Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Summary)

June 7, 2000
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On June 7, for a period of approximately one hour and 30 minutes beginning at 19:30, Mr. Kono hosted a dinner at the Ikura Kokan for Vice Premier Qian. The following is a summary. (Also attending on the Chinese side were Ambassador to Japan Chen Jian, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, and others; on the Japanese side, Director General Makita of the Asian Affairs Bureau and others.)

1. Japan-China relations

(1) Mr. Kono expressed his thanks to Vice Premier Qian for visiting Japan for the funeral of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. Vice Premier Qian voiced high praise for the late Mr. Obuchi's achievements during his period as prime minister, stating that through the visit of President Jiang Zemin to Japan the year before last, and Mr. Obuchi's visit to China last year, a considerable degree of agreement had been reached between China and Japan, which had further fostered the relationship between the two countries.

(2) Mr. Kono said that he had been deeply impressed by the important discourse made by President Jiang Zemin during the visit to China of the Japan-China culture and tourism exchange mission last month; he said he had the highest praise for it, and that it encouraged him to further promote relations between Japan and China. In addition, Mr. Kono said that a large number of people in Japan are thinking about friendship between Japan and China, and further promoting tourism between the two countries would certainly be very meaningful for mutual understanding between the two. Vice Premier Qian stated that there were calls within China for broader relations with Japan, and that it would be highly significant for the development of Japan-China relations if leaders themselves were to take the initiative in opening up their hearts and promoting interchange. He also stated his view that it would be important for China and Japan to work together to create an environment in which people could travel freely for sightseeing between the two countries.

(3) Mr. Kono said that among the visits to Japan by numerous important figures this autumn, he regarded the visit by Premier Zhu Rongji, due to take place in October this year, to be the most important, and Vice Premier Qian expressed his wish for the success of Premier Zhu's visit.

2. Cross-Strait Relations

Vice Premier Qian stated that if only the Taiwanese side were to recognize "one China," anything could be placed on the table for discussion, and that the objective of the Chinese government is peaceful unification and the maintenance of "one country, two systems." He requested Japan's understanding for this standpoint on the part of China. Mr. Kono expressed his wish that dialogue between the two sides would resolve the situation peacefully, his belief that China is bringing its considerable wisdom to bear and is considering methods toward that objective, and his hope for a peaceful resolution.

3. Situation on the Korean Peninsula

With regard to the North-South summit, Mr. Kono stated his view that the easing of tension in Northeast Asia, and in particular on the Korean Peninsula, is a favorable development for neighboring countries and the Northeast Asian region as a whole, emphasizing the importance of fostering mutual confidence between North and South Korea by means of direct talks between the heads of North and South, and stated the Japanese government's strong wish for the success of the North-South summit.

Vice Premier Qian stated that the very fact that the heads of North and South are meeting is itself of positive significance. In addition, referring to the recent visit to China by General Secretary Kim Jong Il, he explained that General Secretary Kim had declared that he perceived the freshness of the changes occurring in Beijing and elsewhere, and that he had a high regard for the reform and open-door policies, and that China had expressed support for the North-South summit.

Mr. Kono gave a personal analysis of the situation in North Korea. Referring to North Korea's recent positive diplomacy, including the establishment of diplomatic relations with Italy, Australia, the Philippines, and other countries, he said that some observers were of the view that these developments were because of the present critical situations in the fields of food and energy, while on the other hand some were of the view that this reflected the fact that system was becoming progressively more solid, and General Secretary Kim Jong Il now feels confident about his hold on the government. Vice Premier Qian said he believed there was truth in Mr. Kono's view.