The Hindu : China, Japan to continue dialogue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002

International

International

China, Japan to continue dialogue

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE Sept. 9. China and Japan have agreed upon a "consensus'' to sustain their sensitive ties by launching a "consultation mechanism'' to promote an economic partnership.

The resumption of "diplomatic consultation'' through an exclusive "mechanism'' for this purpose has also been agreed. The "lessons of history'' have been recognised, too, as a factor in charting the future course of Sino-Japanese relationship.

China today outlined a six-point "consensus'' as the outcome of the Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi's talks in Beijing during her current visit there. Tokyo appeared eager, instead, to underscore its more immediate concerns by projecting China's perceived support for the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi's initiative of engaging North Korea through a summit in Pyongyang on Sept. 17.

The difference in emphasis did not translate into any major dissonance in the ongoing Sino-Japanese dialogue. Ms. Kawaguchi was invited for talks by her Chinese counterpart, Tang Jiaxuan, in the evolving context of global and regional politics about the all-consuming anti-terror agenda. Japan was quick to seize the moment to engage Beijing ahead of Mr. Koizumi's prospective summit with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, whose positive equation with the Chinese leadership was already a significant diplomatic dynamic in the Asia-Pacific region.

On the other hand, China reckoned that its current relationship with Tokyo required a course-correction if it were to attain the boost-trajectory. The recent wave of apprehensions about the possibility of a revival of Japanese "militant nationalism'' had also weighed with the Chinese.

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