Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO2916
2006-05-25 08:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

JAPAN, CHINA FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING: GOOD

Tags:  PREL ECON CH JA 
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DE RUEHKO #2916/01 1450847
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 250847Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2547
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 5996
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 9043
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 9644
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0027
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 6032
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RHMFISS/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0448
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002916 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2031
TAGS: PREL ECON CH JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN, CHINA FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING: GOOD
ATMOSPHERICS

REF: A. TOKYO 02571


B. TOKYO 02655

TOKYO 00002916 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: POL M/C W. Michael Meserve. Reasons:1.4(b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002916

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2031
TAGS: PREL ECON CH JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN, CHINA FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING: GOOD
ATMOSPHERICS

REF: A. TOKYO 02571


B. TOKYO 02655

TOKYO 00002916 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: POL M/C W. Michael Meserve. Reasons:1.4(b/d).


1. (C) Summary: During a readout of the May 23 meeting
between the foreign ministers of Japan and China, Embassy
Tokyo's MOFA contact acknowledged there were no breakthroughs
on the issues under discussion but stressed that:

-- the meeting was a sign of China's desire to improve
bilateral relations;

-- the atmospherics of the meeting were the best in more than
two years;

-- the two sides will continue their discussions on gas
drilling in the East China Sea;

-- the two countries would seek to establish a mechanism to
avoid incidents in the East China Sea; and

-- the PRC wants to renew the Japan-China Security Dialogue.

End Summary.

Good Atmospherics
--------------


2. (C) On May 25, MOFA Asian Affairs Bureau China Division
Principal Deputy Director Kosei Nomura provided an Embassy
Tokyo political officer with a readout of the May 23 meeting
between Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Aso and PRC Foreign
Minister Li Zhaoxing on the margins of the Asian Cooperation
Dialogue (ACD) in Qatar. Nomura observed that this was FM
Aso's first meeting with his Chinese counterpart since his
appointment more than six months ago. The previous meeting
between the two countries' foreign ministers, he noted, took
place in Kyoto on the margins of the May 2005 Asia-Europe
Meeting (ASEM) with then-FM Machimura.


3. (C) Citing the meeting as a turning point in Beijing's
attitude toward Tokyo, Nomura stated that PRC willingness to
meet with FM Aso at this time was a sign of China's desire to
improve bilateral relations (reftels). Relating comments
from China Division Director Hiroyasu Izumi, who attended the
meeting in Doha, Nomura said the meeting's atmospherics were
"very good," with good chemistry between the principals.
Quoting Izumi, he said the bilateral exchange was "the best
in more than two years." Acknowledging that there was no
breakthrough on any of the issues discussed, Nomura claimed,

nonetheless, that the 90-minute meeting would help turn the
relationship in a "positive direction." He said the two
ministers underscored the importance of the bilateral
relationship to the region and stressed the need to
strengthen dialogues and exchanges on economics, culture, and
security. The importance of people-to-people exchanges,
particularly among the youth of the two countries, was
highlighted.

Yasukuni Shrine
--------------


4. (C) Stating that there was nothing new in the exchange
on Yasukuni, Nomura said FM Li raised the Japanese Prime
Minister's visits to the controversial war-related shrine in
familiar terms and FM Aso explained PM Koizumi's position on
the matter. However, FM Aso took the opportunity to explain
his thinking on his own visits to Yasukuni, saying he would
take a comprehensive view of the issue, considering his
personal beliefs as well as the implications of his official
position on such a visit. Normura noted that the Foreign
Minister had made similar comments recently in press
conferences and in the Diet, but this was his first
opportunity to discuss his views directly with the Chinese.


5. (C) The Chinese emphasized the importance of President
Hu's statement on Japan-China relations to former PM
Hashimoto during his visit to Beijing in late March, Nomura
stated. FM Li noted that Japanese media reports of the
statement had focused on President Hu's offer to hold mutual
summits if Japanese leaders would commit not to visit

TOKYO 00002916 002.2 OF 002


Yasukuni shrine. However, Li stressed, the main point of
President Hu's message was that the two countries' bilateral
relationship is important to China and that the PRC wanted to
improve relations with Japan. President Hu's statement to PM
Hashimoto has become the new official Chinese position on
bilateral relations, Nomura observed.

East China Sea Gas Drilling
--------------


6. (C) Nomura said the two sides did not go into details on
their dispute over gas drilling in the East China Sea, but
did confirm their intention to make the East China Sea a "sea
of cooperation" and to accelerate the director general-level
dialogue on the issue. The two countries will try to arrange
the next DG meeting in June. Both countries agreed on the
necessity of establishing a "mechanism" to avoid accidents or
other kinds of incidents in the East China Sea. Nomura said
that there were no specific proposals regarding the
"mechanism" and that it would require further discussion.

Security Dialogue
--------------


7. (C) Relating the discussion on security issues, Nomura
said that FM Aso raised the issue of transparency in China's
defense policy, stating that transparency was important for
building confidence between China and Japan. FM Li responded
that China's defense policy was both transparent and
defensive in nature. Noting that there had been no meeting
of the Japan-China Security Dialogue in over two years, FM Li
said the dialogue should resume as soon as possible. Japan
is encouraged by this suggestion, Nomura stated.

UN Reform and Other Issues
--------------


8. (C) Nomura noted that FM Aso raised the importance of
discussing UN reforms, particularly reforms in the Security
Council. FM Li said China understood the importance of such
a dialogue, but made no specific commitment.


9. (C) The two sides also touched on Taiwan, abandoned
World War II Japanese chemical weapons, and the Six-Party
Talks in familiar terms. Japan raised North Korean
abductions of Japanese citizens, and China said it understood
the importance of the issue. The two sides noted their
desire to cooperate in regional fora, such as APEC, the Asean
Regional Forum and Asean Plus Three. Both countries
confirmed that as 2007 was the 35th anniversary year of the
normalization of their relations, there would be a number of
cultural exchanges and other special events next year.
SCHIEFFER