China will not seek hegemony despite rapid development: Xi

BEIJING, Dec. 15 Kyodo -
China will not seek hegemony despite its rapid economic development, Chinese
Vice President Xi Jinping said Wednesday as he vowed to improve Beijing's ties
with Japan.
Xi was quoted by Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Japan's opposition New Komeito
party, as saying at a meeting in Beijing that bilateral cooperation is
''extremely important'' to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia,
develop an East Asian community, and tackle issues such as energy-saving, the
environment, finance, and information and communications.
Xi, who is certain to succeed Hu Jintao as president, voiced regret over the
deterioration in bilateral ties after the Japan Coast Guard arrested a Chinese
captain following collisions between his trawler and Japanese patrol vessels
near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea in September, according to
Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi is the first Japanese political party leader to visit China after the
Senkaku incident. The islands are administered by Japan but also claimed by
China.
During the 50-minute talks, Xi said the two countries' common interest ''far
exceeds'' differences such as disputes over the Senkakus, according to a New
Komeito party lawmaker who is accompanying Yamaguchi on a four-day trip to
China through Friday.
Xi was quoted as telling Yamaguchi that China and Japan, the world's second-
and third-largest economies, can play a larger role in the international arena
amid Asia's rising clout in the global economy in the wake of the international
financial crisis.
''China will regard Japan as a partner, not a rival,'' Xi was quoted as saying.
''China will not seek hegemony.''
Xi said bilateral ties have ''moved toward improvement'' following a summit
between Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Hu in Yokohama in November.
''The two sides must make efforts to ensure sound relations as early as
possible,'' Xi was quoted as saying.
Earlier Wednesday, Yamaguchi held talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister
Zhang Zhijun and discussed Japan-China relations and North Korean issues.
Zhang took part in a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and
Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo on Dec. 9 in Pyongyang.
==Kyodo