Japan, China, S. Korea Foreign Ministers Likely to Meet Next Week

Tokyo, Aug. 17 (Jiji Press)--Japan, China and South Korea are considering holding a meeting of their foreign ministers in Tokyo for two days from Tuesday, Japanese government sources said Wednesday. The ministers are expected to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missile programs as well as cooperation for a stable global economy. The trilateral meeting will take place after Beijing softened its attitude to Tokyo, according to the sources. Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have been strained by a series of intrusions by Chinese coast guard ships into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The strained ties have raised the possibility that the trilateral meeting would not take place. China agreed to hold the meeting apparently taking into consideration decisions by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada not to visit Yasukuni Shrine on the 71st anniversary of their country's surrender in World War II on Monday, the sources said. Honoring Class-A WWII war criminals among the war dead, the Shinto shrine in central Tokyo is seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism in China and elsewhere. Inada, who took office earlier this month, is known for her nationalistic views. In addition, Beijing rated high the rescue by the Japan Coast Guard of crewmen of a Chinese fishing boat that sank near the Senkaku chain on Thursday, apparently leading to its decision to hold the foreign ministers' meeting. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama, during his trip to China last month, said the three-way talks would take place around late August. END