Japan PM Abe Arrives in Hangzhou for G-20 Summit

Hangzhou, China, Sept. 4 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Hangzhou on Sunday to attend a two-day summit of the Group of 20 major and emerging economies starting in the eastern China city later in the day. On the sidelines of the summit, Abe plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday. Before his departure, Abe told reporters at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda that he hopes to lead G-20 discussions on ways to bring the global economy back on a steady growth path. "I will make clear Japan's stance of respecting rule of law and freedom of navigation, which are extremely important," he also said. During the Hangzhou meeting, Abe plans to stress Japan's determination to take every possible policy step to reduce risks to global growth, such as adverse effects of Britain's exit from the European Union. At the envisaged talks with Xi, Abe will urge China to stop sending ships into Japan's territorial waters off the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The prime minister will also ask Xi to agree to put into motion early a bilateral maritime and air liaison mechanism to prevent an unexpected military clash between the two neighboring Asian nations in the sea. From Tuesday, Abe is scheduled to attend summit meetings linked to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos. During his Asian trip, Abe plans to have bilateral talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye and other leaders, in addition to Xi. He will return home Thursday. END