Chinese foreign minister arrives in S.Korea amid talk about Xi visit
- by Leona Burton
- in World Media
- — Nov 28, 2020
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed on the importance of advancing bilateral ties during their meeting Wednesday, despite lingering differences on issues like the Senkaku Islands and trade.
Wang said that under the new circumstances, China is ready to work with Japan to shoulder responsibilities and promote cooperation with a broader vision, more effective actions and in a wider range of fields, to bring more benefits to the two peoples as well as the global community.
The prime minister "strongly pushed for a positive response by China" toward scrapping import restrictions on Japanese food including beef, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.
After meeting with Suga, Wang told reporters that they had agreed to further improve the bilateral relationship in a way that is "appropriate for a new era" with the new Japanese administration.
Wang met his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday where they agreed to cooperate on trade and fighting the coronavirus, but maintained their stances on territorial disputes, leaving a security concern unresolved.
More news: Johnny Boychuk won't play again due to eye injuriesOften-thorny relations between the two countries have improved in recent years as China's trade dispute with the US has escalated, but territorial disputes continue to strain ties.
Wang will fly to South Korea after Japan, for talks that will include North Korea.
The two sides affirmed cooperation on the Summer Olympic and Paralympic games in Tokyo, which now are being held in 2021, and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Before the pandemic, the two countries were moving forward with plans for a summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Mr Wang also said that bilateral relations have "finally returned" to a normal development path.
Responding to a question regarding disputed islands in the area, Wang referenced "some Japanese fishing boats that do not have knowledge about the truth have repeatedly entered sensitive waters" near the islands.
More news: Wisconsin amid positive tests for COVID-19Wang Yi's visit to Japan comes amid China's expressions of anger over regional cooperation seen as pushing back against Beijing's expansionism in Asia.
The two countries are to restart business travel by the end of this month, even though Japan is now grappling with a resurgence of coronavirus infections as the government struggles to balance disease prevention and economic health.
The two foreign ministers on Tuesday discussed disputed islands in Tokyo.
In particular, officials in Beijing have voiced unease about Japan's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" policy (FOIP), accusing Tokyo and its regional partners of working to develop a collective security body equivalent to an "Asian NATO" to counter China.
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