Emperor meets with China`s rising leader Xi amid controversy+

TOKYO, Dec. 15 Kyodo -
Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping was granted an audience with Emperor
Akihito at the Imperial Palace on Tuesday, amid political wrangling over the
exceptional meeting the Japanese government arranged in breach of imperial
protocol.
Tokyo initially declined China's request for the audience filed late last month
since it was not made at least one month in advance as required by the Imperial
Household Agency. But it changed its position last week in light of, according
to sources, Beijing's persistence in seeking a meeting and pressure from ruling
party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government apparently prioritized Japan's
relations with China over domestic protocol as Xi is regarded as the
front-runner to succeed President Hu Jintao, with whom the emperor had an
audience in 1998 when he visited Japan also as China's then vice president.
During the audience that took place for more than 20 minutes from 11 a.m., Xi
said to the emperor, ''I deeply appreciate that your majesty was very kind in
taking time from your busy schedule and providing me the opportunity for an
audience this time,'' according to the imperial agency.
Clad in a suit, the Chinese vice president also offered his congratulations on
the 20th year of the emperor's enthronement, the agency said.
Emperor Akihito was quoted as responding, ''I hope your visit this time will
further enhance the relationship of understanding and friendship between the
two countries.''
The emperor also said, ''President Hu Jintao came to Japan last year but it
must have been difficult for him shortly after his return as the great Sichuan
earthquake occurred,'' and asked for an update on reconstruction efforts there,
the agency said.
Xi responded, ''The reconstruction is making steady progress. We are grateful
to have received various forms of assistance from the Japanese government and
the people.''
Prior to the meeting, Hatoyama expressed regrets about the controversy that has
erupted over the audience realized on the second day of Xi's three-day visit to
Japan through Wednesday.
''It is extremely regrettable that we have this situation when Xi Jinping, the
Chinese vice president, has come and is conducting activities in Japan,''
Hatoyama told reporters. ''I believe we the people should welcome him with joy
because he is a person who is likely to be the leader in the future.''
In defending his Cabinet's decision to grant Xi an audience with the emperor,
Hatoyama said diplomatic matters should not be handled bureaucratically but
with care.
In Beijing, meanwhile, Jiang Yu, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told a
regular press conference, ''Both sides place great importance on Vice President
Xi Jinping's visit to Japan, and both sides are of the opinion that this visit
holds important significance for further advancing China-Japan strategic and
mutually beneficial relations. Currently, the visit has progressed extremely
smoothly, and Japan has also made considerate arrangements for this visit.''
The government about-face was officially revealed Friday at a rare press
conference by imperial agency chief Shingo Haketa, but Ozawa, secretary general
of Hatoyama's ruling Democratic Party of Japan, on Monday denied his reported
role in events and demanded Haketa step down if he is opposed to government
policy.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano refrained from calling Haketa's
behavior into question when asked about it at his press conference Tuesday,
saying, ''I understand that he must have commented from the viewpoint of agency
chief,'' and declined to comment on Ozawa's response.
Hatoyama and Hirano have defended the government's arrangement for the imperial
audience, saying it does not constitute use of the emperor for political
purposes as indicated by Haketa and claimed by the opposition camp.
Under the Japanese Constitution, the emperor's role is largely limited to
ceremonial functions as ''the symbol of the state and of the unity of the
people.''
In announcing last Friday that the emperor's audience with Xi was scheduled for
Tuesday, Haketa revealed that he had told the chief Cabinet secretary that
granting the meeting ''will generate considerable concern about the role of his
majesty.''
''The logic of calling for the audience because China is politically important
is painful (to accept),'' Haketa also said, adding, ''It is my sincere wish
that this kind of thing will never happen again.''
Ozawa, while denying he wielded any influence in arranging the meeting, said
Monday in reference to Haketa's comments, ''If any bureaucrat (in a division of
the Cabinet) wants to say something about Cabinet policies, he or she should do
so after offering to resign.''
Haketa said later Monday he has no plans to quit.
Meanwhile, a meeting between Ozawa and Xi planned for Tuesday was cancelled.
Neither Ozawa's office nor the DPJ has given specific reasons.
Arriving in Tokyo on Monday, Xi on his first day met with Hatoyama and agreed
to deepen what officials call the strategic and mutually beneficial
relationship between the two countries, but no specific mention was made of the
audience during their talks, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Instead, Xi told Hatoyama during the talks, which were partly open to the
media, that he is grateful for Japan's thorough preparations for his visit, a
remark taken as recognizing that he had been granted an exceptional audience
with the emperor.
==Kyodo