APEC Key Opportunity for Summit with Japan: China Envoy

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)--The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit to be held in Beijing in November is a key opportunity for Japanese and Chinese leaders to hold bilateral talks, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua said Wednesday. Japan's control of the East China Sea islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China and repeated visits by Japanese politicians to war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo are major problems between the two countries, Cheng said. "I hope Japan will handle sensitive issues in an honest and appropriate manner and make efforts to prevent any adverse effects" of them on its relations with China, the ambassador stressed. Cheng made the remarks in a speech delivered in Japanese at a members-only seminar hosted by the Research Institute of Japan, a Jiji Press affiliate. He also underscored that ongoing prodemocracy demonstrations in Hong Kong are a domestic issue of China and that other countries should not intervene. Dismissing concerns about a slowdown of the Chinese economy, Cheng said China is confident about maintaining 7.5 pct economic growth. END