The Significance of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's Visit to China and Mongolia

China

(1) On the occasion of the visit to Japan by President Jiang Zemin in November 1998, the two countries issued the Japan-China Joint Declaration, entering a new stage of bilateral relations based on a common awareness of wide-ranging issues. During Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's current visit to China, the two countries are expected to reconfirm their common awareness and promote Japan-China cooperation both on bilateral issues and in the international community. In this way, the visit is hoped to serve as a bridge to the twenty-first century.

(2) A Joint Press Announcement on Strengthening Cooperation Between Japan and China Toward the Twenty-first Century was issued during President Jiang Zemin's visit to Japan last year. During the current visit the progress made in relation to the 33 items listed in this announcement will be reviewed, and discussions will be held on which items to prioritize in the future.

(3) In order to build a peaceful and more affluent world in the coming century, Japan and China will cooperatively deal with the various issues on the international agenda.

Mongolia

(1) By promoting political dialogue, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange, Japan and Mongolia will broaden their relationship and further propel their comprehensive partnership, which was confirmed on the occasion of the first visit to Japan by the president of Mongolia in 1998.

(2) Located as it is between China and Russia, Mongolia is in an important geopolitical position, and it also has a long history of diplomacy with North Korea. Summit-level diplomacy with Mongolia has recently become active, as can be seen by the visit to Mongolia made at the end of May by President Kim Dae-jung of the Republic of Korea. The prime minister's visit to Mongolia is part of this development.

(3) This year marks the tenth anniversary since the beginning of democratization in Mongolia. For this reason, Prime Minister Obuchi's visit to Mongolia will carry the message that Japan remains unchanged in its support of Mongolia's building of a democracy and market economy. This should contribute to strengthening the foundations for these processes.

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