A Foreign Ministry spokesperson yesterday expressed the
government's indignation over remarks made by Japanese leaders
about controversial shrine visits while explaining why a meeting
between Vice Premier Wu Yi and
the Japanese prime minister was cancelled on Monday.
"To our regret, during Wu's stay in Japan, Japanese
leaders repeatedly made remarks about visiting the Yasukuni Shrine,
which go against efforts to improve bilateral relations, and China
is extremely unsatisfied with the situation," said Kong Quan at
Tuesday's regular press conference.
Wu arrived in Japan last Tuesday to attend the 2005
World Expo but cancelled a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi before leaving the country a day early.
Kong said the government attached great importance
to Sino-Japanese relations and had made unremitting efforts to
improve and develop bilateral relations, adding that Wu's visit was
the best demonstration of this determination.
He stressed the tour did achieve some positive
results, including Wu's participation in the China Day of the World
Expo, and her two speeches concerning the promotion of
Sino-Japanese economic ties.
Beijing has repeatedly criticized Koizumi's visits
to the Yasukuni Shrine, where 14 Class-A WWII war criminals are
honored among Japan's war dead.
On May 16, Koizumi indicated that he might visit
the shrine again this year during questioning by Japan's House of
Representatives Budget Committee, saying: "I do not understand why
I should stop visiting the Yasukuni Shrine."
Koizumi said last Friday that when he visited the
shrine he did so as a private individual and not as the prime
minister.
"Under current circumstances, especially as the
world celebrates the 60th
anniversary of the victory over fascism, some Japanese leaders,
in great disregard of the feelings of the Chinese people, made some
wrong and incorrect remarks about the Yasukuni Shrine," Kong
said.
"They are showing no sense of rightfulness in their
hearts while they are doing this," he said in response to Japan's
demand for an apology for the cancelled meeting, adding that 35
million Chinese people died during Japan's invasion and occupation
of parts of China from 1937 to 1945.
Kong said China sincerely hoped the two countries
could make joint efforts to fulfill President Hu
Jintao's five-point proposal on improving relations, initiated
during his meeting with Koizumi on April 23 in Jakarta on the
sidelines of the Asia-Africa Summit.
Kong said Wu's current visit to Mongolia "is of
great significance" to the development of bilateral relations.
During the "very important visit," Wu will meet
Mongolian President Nachagyn Bagabandy, President-elect and
Chairman of the Great State Hural (parliament) Nambaryn Enkhbayar,
and Prime Minister Tsakhia Elbegdorj.
Wu will also hold talks with Mongolian Deputy Prime
Minister Chultemiin Ulaan on a wide range of topics, Kong said.
These meetings will serve as good opportunities for
leaders to sum up the major achievements in the development of
bilateral relations over the past few years and draw plans for
mutually beneficial cooperation in the future, he added.
Kong announced that Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing will visit the Middle East late next month, though
detailed plans are yet to be drawn up. The Palestinian leader
Mahmoud Abbas recently wrapped up his China visit.
He expressed the belief that the visit would
further deepen China's understanding of these nations.
Kong said China is very concerned about the current
situation there. "On the one hand, China sees some positive signs;
on the other hand, it notes some difficulties in restarting the
Middle East peace process," he said.
"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council,
China will, as always, work with the international community to
play a constructive role in restarting the peace process," Kong
added.
Turning to the Sino-Russian border issue, Kong said
China is glad to see the ratification of a supplementary agreement
on the China-Russia eastern border by Russia's lower house of
parliament, the State Duma.
Russian lawmakers voted 307-80 with two abstentions
to approve the agreement last Friday.
"China hopes the upper house of the Russian
parliament will ratify the supplementary agreement in the near
future, which will help it to take effect at an early date," Kong
said.
"Our goal is to make the Sino-Russian border a
peaceful, cooperative and friendly one," he said.
Russia and China signed the agreement during
President Vladimir Putin's visit to China last October.
It defines two sections that constitute less than 2
percent of the Russian-Chinese border. The dispute has been left
unsettled since 1991 when the two sides signed a treaty on the
eastern part of the common border. Russia and China share a 4,300
km-long boundary that has been defined by the two sides.
Moving on to Uzbekistan, Kong said China firmly
supports the Central Asian country's moves to crack down on the
"three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and
maintain domestic and regional stability for peaceful
development.
China expects to strengthen cooperation with
Uzbekistan in all fields, Kong said in response to a question about
the recent chaos in the Uzbek city of Andijan, which he said was
Uzbekistan's internal affair.
"To safeguard stability in Central Asia, priority
should be given to cracking down on the 'three evil forces,' which
is also the major objective of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization," Kong said.
China hopes the domestic situation in Uzbekistan
would become peaceful soon with the restoration of normal social
order so that the people of the country could resume their normal
life, he added.
Commenting on the coming visit of Uzbek President
Islam Karimov beginning Wednesday, Kong said he is scheduled to
hold talks with Hu and meet with Premier Wen
Jiabao.
Leaders of the two countries are expected to
discuss concrete ideas and measures to strengthen bilateral
cooperation in various fields, exchange views on regional and
international issues, and sign cooperative documents, said
Kong.
"China is expecting further progress in relations
with Uzbekistan in all fields through this visit," he
added.
Kong announced that New Zealand's Prime Minister
Helen Elizabeth Clark will visit from May 29 to 31 at the
invitation of Wen.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency May 25,
2005)