Courtesy Visit to Prime Minister Mori by Mr. Qian Qichen,
Vice Premier of China (Summary)

June 7, 2000
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On June 7, for more than 20 minutes from shortly after 18:00, Prime Minister Mori received a courtesy visit from Mr. Qian Qichen, Vice Premier of China, who was visiting Japan for the funeral of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (venue: Prime Minister's Official Residence). The following is a summary of their conversation. (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 Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsutani, Director of the Cabinet Counsellors' Office on External Affairs Anami, Director General of the Asian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Makita, and others.)

1. Expression of condolences

(1) Prime Minister Mori expressed his thanks to Vice Premier Qian for visiting Japan for the funeral.

(2) Vice Premier Qian stated that at the wish of President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji he had visited Japan to convey their condolences, and that the contribution of the late Prime Minister Obuchi to the furtherance of Japan-China friendship would not be forgotten.

2. Japan-China relations

(1) Vice Premier Qian expressed praise for Prime Minister Mori's efforts to foster friendly and cooperative Japan-China relations, including a reference to the visit to China by the secretaries general of the three governing political parties. He also mentioned the results of the visit to China in May of five thousand people in the Japan-China culture and tourism exchange mission (note: Vice Premier Qian attended the dinner in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing), and declared his conviction that, under Mr. Mori's leadership, efforts on both sides will lead definitely to the realization of friendly cooperation by successive generations on the foundation of "Learn from history, and open up the future."

(2) Prime Minister Mori stated (a) that he could detect favorable signs of the development of friendly relations, and that in conformity with the wishes of the late Prime Minister Obuchi, he would do all in his power to foster the development of friendly Japan-China relations, based upon three documents: the Japan-China Joint Communique, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People's Republic of China, and the Japan-China Joint Declaration, (b) that he appreciated the important discourse by President Jiang Zemin during the visit to China of the Japan-China culture and tourism exchange mission, and (c) that he is waiting expectantly for the visit to Japan by Premier Zhu Rongji, when he hopes to talk fully with a view to further developing friendly cooperation.

3. The situation on the Korean Peninsula

(1) Prime Minister Mori stated that he takes deep interest in the situation in Northeast Asia and that he would pay close attention to the North-South summit to be held this month. He stated that China's support will be necessary for North-South dialogue to take place and his wish that China continue to closely monitor the situation.

(2) Vice Premier Qian said that China supports the North-South dialogue, and although at present he did not know what kind of concrete results it would produce, the very fact that dialogue is taking place does in itself have very positive significance, and that he hoped strongly that it would proceed in a positive direction.
(Note: There was no discussion of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's visit to China.)