MFA ON DAI - YACHI MEETINGS IN JAPAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002981

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/J, EAP/K AND EAP/CM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2016
TAGS: PREL CH KN JA
SUBJECT: MFA ON DAI - YACHI MEETINGS IN JAPAN

REF: A. TOKYO 00775

B. BEIJING 02461

Classified By: Political External Chief Edgard Kagan.
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) China will not change its policy of friendship
towards Japan nor its opposition to visits by Japan's
leaders to Yasukuni Shrine, EVFM Dai Bingguo told VFM
Shotaro Yachi during the fourth session of their
Comprehensive Policy Dialogue. According to the MFA
Japan Division Director, Yachi called the Sino-China
relationship one of the most important in the world,
while defending Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to the
Yasukuni Shrine. Japan wants to quickly begin joint
historical research, to which China agrees in
principle but also wants the interest of South Korea
and the United States to participate taken into
account. The Japanese Embassy Political Counselor
said serious discussions occurred late in the evening
on February 11 at a hot springs resort in Niigata,
after a visit to a bathhouse and a karaoke session,
when Dai pressed Yachi on whether Japan wants China as
a friend and partner or strategic rival. End Summary.


2. (C) On February 17 newly-appointed MFA Asian
Affairs Department Japan Division Director Hong
Xiaoyong briefed poloffs on EVFM Dai Bingguo's
February 10 - 11 meetings with VFM Shotaro Yachi for
the fourth round of the Comprehensive Policy Dialogue,
which took place in Tokyo and central Japan's Niigata
Prefecture. Dai also met with more than ten other
Japanese officials during his February 9 - 13 trip,
including Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, FM Aso, Finance
Minister Tanigaki, Minister of Economy, Trade and
Industry Nikai, Director of the Japan Defense Agency
Nukaga and Chairman of the Lower House Kono.
Commenting that the MFA normally does not brief
Embassies on the Dai-Yachi Dialogue, Hong said he was
specifically instructed by Dai to brief the U.S.
Embassy in keeping with the spirit of his dialogue
with the Deputy Secretary. Hong then proceeded to
read from notes limited to Yasukuni Shrine, Taiwan and
joint historical research.

Yasukuni Shrine
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3. (C) Calling the talks "candid and straightforward,"
Hong said Dai made clear to Yachi that while China's
policy of friendship towards Japan would not change,
China would also not change its stance of opposing
visits by Japan's leader to the Yasukuni Shrine.
China has made many efforts to improve bilateral
relations, but Japan's leaders need to stop visiting
Yasukuni Shrine to break the impasse and prevent
further harm to relations. Dai complained that the
history museum at Yasukuni Shrine whitewashes Japan's
aggression, something that neither China nor the
international community can accept. Hong said that
other Japanese politicians told Dai that they oppose
PM Koizumi's visit to the shrine, but that PM Koizumi
acts without regard to the views of others on this
issue.


4. (C) According to Hong, Yachi responded that the
Sino-Japan relationship is one of the most important
bilateral relationships in the world. Yachi also
defended PM Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine by
calling it a private matter and hoping that the
current political problems would not affect the
bilateral relationship in other areas, like economics.
Yachi responded to Dai's comments about the museum by
saying "he had not been to the museum and did not know
the current situation," according to Hong.

Taiwan
--------------


5. (C) On Taiwan, Hong said Dai repeated China's
consistent stance that Japan should continue to adhere
to the joint Japan-China documents on Taiwan and
oppose Taiwanese independence. Dai also said China
opposes Japan allowing Lee Deng-hui to visit Japan.
Hong said Dai raised Beijing's concerns about the
February 2005 Two Plus Two statement, though he

BEIJING 00002981 002 OF 002


commented that this was not a major point in the
discussion.

Joint Historical Research Project
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6. (C) Yachi told Dai that Japan wants to quickly
begin joint historical research by experts and
academics with China. Dai said China agreed in
principle, while noting that both the ROK and the
United States have expressed an interest in
participating in such discussions. Hong said there
were no detailed discussions on timing or content.

Japanese Embassy Comments
--------------


7. (C) Japanese Embassy Political Counselor Kazuhiro
Suzuki told poloff separately on February 17 that Dai
and Yachi met at a hot springs resort in Niigata on
February 11. Following visits to the baths, dinner
and karaoke sessions, Dai and Yachi got down to some
"serious" discussions that lasted late into the night.
Dai asked if Japan wants China as a friend and partner
or strategic rival. Saying Yachi responded with the
former, Suzuki suggested that Dai needed to bring home
an answer ahead of internal Chinese government
discussions on Japan prior to the March meeting of the
National People's Congress. While encouraging Japan
to take positive action to break the salemate in
relations, Dai said a visit by a Jpanese PM under
"any modality" is unacceptable.


8. (C) Suzuki said that in addition to agreeing to
resume talks on the East China Sea in early March, the
two sides agreed to resume Director General-level
meetings on the UN and Africa and to make efforts to
expand cultural and educational exchanges. Suzuki
reported that China is satisfied with the results of
Dai's discussions in Japan and that meetings this week
indicate that Beijing researchers and academics are
already able to be a little more positive when
discussing Japan.
Randt