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Hu warns on Japan dispute
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has warned that his country's dispute with Japan over Tokyo's World War II aggression could affect the stability and development of Asia, and urged the Japanese to back up their apologies with action.
Hu was speaking after a 55-minute meeting on Saturday evening with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the sidelines of the Asian-African summit in Jakarta.
"At the moment Sino-Japanese relations face a difficult situation. Such a difficult situation is not one we want to see," Hu told reporters after the closed-door meeting.
If the problem cannot be solved "it would be detrimental to China and Japan and would affect stability and development in Asia," he added.
Koizumi told reporters it was a "very good meeting," as he left the venue.
It was the first top-level discussion since massive anti-Japanese protests erupted earlier this month in major Chinese cities over Tokyo's approval of school textbooks that China claims play down wartime atrocities.
Hu said the strong reaction of the Chinese people is "something the Japanese side should seriously reflect on."
The meeting came a day after Koizumi offered the most public apology in a decade over Japan's wartime aggression in Asia. Koizumi's expression of "deep remorse" broke no new ground, but the rare appeal was a clear attempt to reverse the worst erosion of ties between Tokyo and Beijing since diplomatic relations were established in 1972.
However, Hu said Tokyo should back up its words of remorse with action.
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has warned that his country's dispute with Japan over Tokyo's World War II aggression could affect the stability and development of Asia, and urged the Japanese to back up their apologies with action.
Hu was speaking after a 55-minute meeting on Saturday evening with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the sidelines of the Asian-African summit in Jakarta.
"At the moment Sino-Japanese relations face a difficult situation. Such a difficult situation is not one we want to see," Hu told reporters after the closed-door meeting.
If the problem cannot be solved "it would be detrimental to China and Japan and would affect stability and development in Asia," he added.
Koizumi told reporters it was a "very good meeting," as he left the venue.
It was the first top-level discussion since massive anti-Japanese protests erupted earlier this month in major Chinese cities over Tokyo's approval of school textbooks that China claims play down wartime atrocities.
Hu said the strong reaction of the Chinese people is "something the Japanese side should seriously reflect on."
The meeting came a day after Koizumi offered the most public apology in a decade over Japan's wartime aggression in Asia. Koizumi's expression of "deep remorse" broke no new ground, but the rare appeal was a clear attempt to reverse the worst erosion of ties between Tokyo and Beijing since diplomatic relations were established in 1972.
However, Hu said Tokyo should back up its words of remorse with action.
You have to admire the audacity of the Chinese. They manufacture a crisis and then have the gall to demand the Japanese take action to resolve said crisis. Even more amazing, it seems to be working, at least as far as chastening the Japanese leadership. Unreal...
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