Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono proposed to China on Sunday resuming reciprocal visits by the two countries‘ leaders, with bilateral relations showing signs of improvement despite a lingering territorial dispute. At the outset of his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which was open to the media, Kono said
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono proposed to China on Sunday resuming reciprocal visits by the two countries‘ leaders, with bilateral relations showing signs of improvement despite a lingering territorial dispute.
At the outset of his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which was open to the media, Kono said, „We want to improve overall (bilateral) ties this year,“ including reciprocal visits by the leaders.
Kono, the first Japanese foreign minister to visit China in about two years, noted the importance of this year as Tokyo and Beijing mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of a peace and friendship treaty.
Wang responded to Kono by saying China welcomes Japan’s „strong determination“ to improve bilateral relations.
Later in the day, Kono, who arrived in Beijing on Saturday, is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and State Councilor Yang Jiechi, the nation’s top diplomat, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have yet to exchange official visits due in part to the row over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands, a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea that Beijing claims.
