China, Japan Exchange Concerns over Disputed East China Sea Islands
10:49 JST, February 3, 2023
BEIJING – Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi discussed disputed islands in the East China Sea on Thursday, with both expressing concerns and Qin hoping Japan could stop “right-wing” provocations.
The disputed East China Sea islets claimed by both China and Japan have long been a sticking point in bilateral relations. China calls the islands Diaoyu, while Japan calls them Senkaku.
In their first conversation since Qin took office, he told Hayashi that Beijing hopes Japan can stop “right-wing forces” from provoking disputes over the contested islands, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.
Hayashi said bilateral relations face “many challenges and concerns,” adding that Japanese public opinion toward China is “extremely severe,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Hayashi also expressed “serious concerns” about the East China Sea, including China’s activities around the islands, as well as its “increasingly active military activities near Japan”.
But both agreed on cooperating to build a constructive and stable relationship, and said they would continue close communication at all levels, including at the summit level, the Japanese statement said.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed on Friday that the two ministers had talked and agreed to work towards cooperative, positive ties.
“I think their conversation was a good start,” he told a news conference.
"News Services" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Dollar Edges Lower, Yen at 34-year Trough
-
A Strong Earthquake Shakes Taiwan, Damaging Buildings and Causing a Tsunami
-
Taiwan’s Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years Kills Seven, Traps 77 (UPDATE 2)
-
Iranian Consulate in Damascus Flattened in Suspected Israeli Air Strike
-
Japan’s Nikkei Climbs 1.5% as Investors Scoop Up Beaten-Down Stocks (Update 1)
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- Tsunami Advisory for Okinawa Lifted at Noon (UPDATE 2)