Japan Foreign Minister hopes for improved ties with China

BEIJING (AP) – Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono expressed hopes for improved relations with China during talks yesterday in Beijing that also touched on joint efforts to counter North Korea's nuclear program.

In opening remarks to his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Kono said that as the world's second and third largest economies, China and Japan “have a major responsibility in safeguarding the stability and prosperity of Asia and the world at large.”

Wang said China had noted positive remarks about the relationship from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but that difficulties still remain.

“At present, the Sino-Japanese relations are at a crucial stage. There is positive progress, but many disturbances and obstacles remain,'' Wang said.

Japan has pushed for stricter measures against North Korea, which fired a ballistic missile over the Japanese island of Hokkaido in August, and in his remarks, Kono stressed the need for a united front against Pyongyang.

“Not only do we need to manage our bilateral relations, but we also need to work together to deal with issues facing the entire globe, in particular the issue of North Korea, which is the matter at hand for the international community as a whole,” Kono said.

Kono was also expected to discuss possible arrangements for a trilateral summit this spring in Tokyo between leaders from China, South Korea, and Japan.