China, Japan should appropriately resolve 'sensitive issues': Yang+

YOKOHAMA, Nov. 14 Kyodo -
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told his Japanese counterpart Seiji
Maehara on Sunday that the two countries should ''appropriately deal with
sensitive issues'' in a meeting that followed a bilateral summit a day earlier,
which raised hopes for a diplomatic thaw after their ties were strained by a
territorial spat.
The ministers, who met for about 35 minutes, avoided directly referring to the
disputed Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, also claimed
by China, and agreed to boost strategic, mutually beneficial relations through
various forms of cooperation, a Japanese official said.
But differences remained over gas field development talks in the East China Sea
and China's detention of four Japanese construction company employees in
September and October at the height of diplomatic tensions, he said.
The ministerial meeting was held at China's request after Japanese Prime
Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese President Hu Jintao met for 22 minutes in their
first official talks since bilateral relations deteriorated over the Sept. 7
ship collisions near the Senkaku Islands, which are known in China as Diaoyu.
Maehara asked Yang that the two countries resume talks to sign a treaty over
joint gas field development in the East China Sea, but the Chinese minister
expressed caution, saying Japan and China should meet ''conditions necessary to
reopen the negotiations and create the atmosphere to that end,'' according to
the Japanese official.
Amid escalating tensions, China unilaterally postponed the scheduled talks in
September in protest against Tokyo's handling of the maritime incident.
The Japanese minister inquired about the legal background for the detention of
the four Fujita Corp. employees, but Yang defended the action, saying it is
clear that they entered a Chinese military zone without permission and should
have observed China's laws.
Yang suggested Japan and China promote personnel and cultural exchanges to
improve public sentiment toward their respective countries, and Maehara
concurred, the official said.
The ship collisions escalated tensions between the two countries, leading to
the eruption of violent anti-Japan protests in China.
On areas of cooperation, Maehara and Yang agreed that two countries will work
together over North Korea's nuclear program and global issues such as climate
change.
The ministers also reached an accord to promote cooperation among Japan, China
and South Korea.
Maehara said former Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who now serves as
secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, is scheduled to
visit China in December and sought China's support for his visit.
==Kyodo
2010-11-14 21:45:40