Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TOKYO2161
2008-08-06 10:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
JAPANESE PM FUKUDA HEADING TO BEIJING; TALKS ON
how-toVZCZCXRO4612 PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC DE RUEHKO #2161 2191019 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 061019Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6395 INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 4777 RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA PRIORITY 9266 RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 1639 RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE PRIORITY 3005 RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO PRIORITY 9849 RHMFISS/USFJ PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 7102
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002161
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ENRG PHUM CH JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE PM FUKUDA HEADING TO BEIJING; TALKS ON
CONTENTIOUS ISSUES ON HOLD UNTIL AFTER OLYMPICS
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002161
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ENRG PHUM CH JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE PM FUKUDA HEADING TO BEIJING; TALKS ON
CONTENTIOUS ISSUES ON HOLD UNTIL AFTER OLYMPICS
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. Summary: Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda will arrive in
Beijing on August 8 to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao
and Premier Wen Jiabao and will make a brief appearance at
the Olympics Opening Ceremony before departing for Japan that
same evening, MOFA told Embassy Tokyo on August 4. Japan and
China are shelving talks on difficult bilateral issues
including the East China Sea and joint history project until
after the Olympics. Japan and China have not started
drafting the treaty on joint development in the East China
Sea and have not made additional progress following the June
18 announcement that a joint development agreement had been
reached. The release date for the report from the joint
history project has also been postponed until after the
Olympics. Separately, Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura told
the press on August 5 that Japan will lodge a "strong
protest" with China after confirming that two Japanese
journalists were beaten by police in Xinjiang. This could
dampen the atmospherics during Fukuda's meetings with Hu and
Wen. End Summary.
Fukuda Making Brief Visit to Beijing
--------------
2. (C) Prime Minister Fukuda will visit Beijing on August 8
to attend the Olympics Opening Ceremony and to hold meetings
with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, MOFA
China and Mongolia Division Principal Deputy Director Atsushi
Endo told Embassy Tokyo on August 4. Fukuda will arrive in
Beijing on a small, executive-size Japan Air Self-Defense
aircraft in the morning, attend the official reception at
noon, and will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and
Premier Wen Jiabao in the afternoon. He will attend the
opening ceremony in the evening and, time permitting, meet
with Japanese athletes before returning to Japan. Fukuda
will depart Beijing that same night as he needs to be in
Nagasaki at 0800 on August 9 to attend a memorial service for
atomic bomb victims, Endo stated.
No Progress on East China Sea Joint Development Treaty
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Japan and China have not made any additional progress
on joint development in the East China Sea following the June
18 announcement that an agreement had been reached, Endo
stated. Tokyo and Beijing have not held any official
meetings to begin drafting the treaty and little progress is
expected until after the Olympics, he continued. (Comment:
MOFA told Embassy Tokyo in late June that the Olympics would
be a good time to hold "quiet discussions" on the treaty
because the Chinese public would be focused on the Olympics.
During our August 4 meeting, however, MOFA was less
optimistic about concluding the treaty in the near future.
End Comment.)
Japan-China Joint History Project Final Report Delayed
-------------- --------------
4. (C) The release date for the joint history report written
by Japanese and Chinese scholars has also been postponed
until after the Olympics, Endo stated. China is pushing to
hold the final joint history project meeting and then release
the report at a later date. Japan prefers to release the
report at the same time the academics hold their final
meeting. A date for the final meeting has not been set.
Japan Lodges Protest Following Journalists Beatings
in Xinjiang, China Expresses "Regret"
-------------- --------------
5. (C) An incident in Xinjiang involving two Japanese
journalists who were beaten by Chinese police could
complicate Fukuda's visit to Beijing. Chief Cabinet
Secretary Machimura on August 5 told the press Japan will
lodge a "strong protest" with China after confirming that two
Japanese journalists were beaten by police. Machimura stated
"We believe it was a fact. We plan to protest strongly." A
photographer from Chunichi Shimbun and a reporter from Nippon
Television Network Corporation both suffered light injuries,
according to the press. Following the receipt of an official
protest from the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, China's MFA
spokesperson expressed regret and local authorities in
Xinjiang said they were "sorry" for the incident.
SCHIEFFER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ENRG PHUM CH JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE PM FUKUDA HEADING TO BEIJING; TALKS ON
CONTENTIOUS ISSUES ON HOLD UNTIL AFTER OLYMPICS
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. Summary: Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda will arrive in
Beijing on August 8 to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao
and Premier Wen Jiabao and will make a brief appearance at
the Olympics Opening Ceremony before departing for Japan that
same evening, MOFA told Embassy Tokyo on August 4. Japan and
China are shelving talks on difficult bilateral issues
including the East China Sea and joint history project until
after the Olympics. Japan and China have not started
drafting the treaty on joint development in the East China
Sea and have not made additional progress following the June
18 announcement that a joint development agreement had been
reached. The release date for the report from the joint
history project has also been postponed until after the
Olympics. Separately, Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura told
the press on August 5 that Japan will lodge a "strong
protest" with China after confirming that two Japanese
journalists were beaten by police in Xinjiang. This could
dampen the atmospherics during Fukuda's meetings with Hu and
Wen. End Summary.
Fukuda Making Brief Visit to Beijing
--------------
2. (C) Prime Minister Fukuda will visit Beijing on August 8
to attend the Olympics Opening Ceremony and to hold meetings
with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, MOFA
China and Mongolia Division Principal Deputy Director Atsushi
Endo told Embassy Tokyo on August 4. Fukuda will arrive in
Beijing on a small, executive-size Japan Air Self-Defense
aircraft in the morning, attend the official reception at
noon, and will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and
Premier Wen Jiabao in the afternoon. He will attend the
opening ceremony in the evening and, time permitting, meet
with Japanese athletes before returning to Japan. Fukuda
will depart Beijing that same night as he needs to be in
Nagasaki at 0800 on August 9 to attend a memorial service for
atomic bomb victims, Endo stated.
No Progress on East China Sea Joint Development Treaty
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Japan and China have not made any additional progress
on joint development in the East China Sea following the June
18 announcement that an agreement had been reached, Endo
stated. Tokyo and Beijing have not held any official
meetings to begin drafting the treaty and little progress is
expected until after the Olympics, he continued. (Comment:
MOFA told Embassy Tokyo in late June that the Olympics would
be a good time to hold "quiet discussions" on the treaty
because the Chinese public would be focused on the Olympics.
During our August 4 meeting, however, MOFA was less
optimistic about concluding the treaty in the near future.
End Comment.)
Japan-China Joint History Project Final Report Delayed
-------------- --------------
4. (C) The release date for the joint history report written
by Japanese and Chinese scholars has also been postponed
until after the Olympics, Endo stated. China is pushing to
hold the final joint history project meeting and then release
the report at a later date. Japan prefers to release the
report at the same time the academics hold their final
meeting. A date for the final meeting has not been set.
Japan Lodges Protest Following Journalists Beatings
in Xinjiang, China Expresses "Regret"
-------------- --------------
5. (C) An incident in Xinjiang involving two Japanese
journalists who were beaten by Chinese police could
complicate Fukuda's visit to Beijing. Chief Cabinet
Secretary Machimura on August 5 told the press Japan will
lodge a "strong protest" with China after confirming that two
Japanese journalists were beaten by police. Machimura stated
"We believe it was a fact. We plan to protest strongly." A
photographer from Chunichi Shimbun and a reporter from Nippon
Television Network Corporation both suffered light injuries,
according to the press. Following the receipt of an official
protest from the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, China's MFA
spokesperson expressed regret and local authorities in
Xinjiang said they were "sorry" for the incident.
SCHIEFFER