Abe keen to resolve China rift
By Takeshi Hiroto,WNS Tokyo Correspondent
TOKYO - Japan's new leader Shinzo Abe is ready for talks with China and South Korea at any time, his spokesman has said. "We both share an understanding that we should work to hold top-level talks as early as possible," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki. Outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had a rocky relationship with neighbouring countries, mainly over his visits to a controversial war shrine. There is hope that a change of leader might bring about a rapprochement.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has already pledged "relentless efforts" to improve ties, and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun called for relations to develop in a "future-oriented" way. But Mr Abe has so far refused to comment on whether he will continue to visit the controversial Yasukuni war shrine. Both South Korea and China are angry at official Japanese visits to the Yasukuni shrine, which honours war criminals alongside Japan's war dead. The two countries say the shrine glorifies Japan's past militarism, particularly during World War II.
China's official media warned on Wednesday that Mr Abe had not yet done enough to resolve the issue, and called on him to state clearly that he would not visit the shrine. "Abe has been adopting 'vague tactics', has avoided making a clear stand on whether he will visit the Yasukuni Shrine," the People's Daily said.
posted by wnsworld @ 5:57 PM
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