Senior officials from Japan's government coalition parties
announced in Beijing Sunday that their county would pull out all
the stops to ensure the success of Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit to Japan.
"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Japanese government
warmly welcome Wen's visit. We hope to improve our relations
through mutual visits between our respective state leaders," said
Hidenao Nakagawa, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP).
Japan expects to see progress made on the dispute surrounding
oil and gas joint exploitation in the East China Sea during Wen's
visit, he said.
A delegation from Japan's ruling parties, headed by Nakagawa and
Kazuo Kitagawa, secretary-general of ruling coalition partner New
Komeito, arrived in Beijing Thursday evening for a five-day visit
to China.
Before their departure to Beijing, Abe spoke to Nakagawa and
Kitagawa, instructing them to help create a favorable atmosphere
for Wen's visit scheduled for April.
Speaking to Xinhua, Nakagawa and Kitagawa announced that
improving understanding between Japanese and Chinese people,
especially among younger generations, would prove vital in moving
forward bilateral relations.
Nakagawa further announced that he would also lead a large
delegation to China later this year as part of bilateral personnel
exchanges.
Kitagawa also stated that Japan's visa application procedures
for Chinese tourists would be simplified. 810,000 Chinese tourists
traveled to Japan in 2006 with their respective number this year
set to top one million.
Addressing bilateral trade and economic cooperation, Nakagawa
described the symbiotic relationship between the Chinese and
Japanese economies, labeling China's continuous growth in this
regard, conducive to Japan's financial well-being.
China-Japan relations soured following former Japanese leader
Junichiro Koizumi's persistent visits to Yasukuni Shrine, wherein
14 Japanese class-A war criminals in the second World War are held
in high honor among Japan's other war dead.
The two countries appeared to begin dispelling these obstacles
last October when new Japanese PM Abe paid an ice-breaking visit to
Beijing.
(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2007)
