Fukuda's visit to China to open path for true friendship: Japanese paper
26/12/2007 17:05
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's upcoming visit to China will help
promote mutual understanding and open a path for the development of true
friendship, a Japanese newspaper said today.
The Japanese-language Tokyo
Shimbun newspaper said in an editorial that although Japan and China hold
different views on the East China Sea issue and the Taiwan issue, frank exchange
of views and increase of mutual understanding will open a path for the
development of true friendship.
Exchanges of high-level visits between the
two countries had been halted for around five years, due to former premier
Koizumi Junichiro's repeated visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine. Last
October, former prime minister Shinzo Abe's China tour has reopened high-level
visits, the paper said.
Fukuda, who attaches importance to Asian diplomacy,
will start his trip to Beijing yesterday. China has extended welcome to Fukuda's
visit, the editorial said.
During the four-day official visit, the premier is
expected to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, and hold talks with his
Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao. He will also meet with top legislator Wu
Bangguo.
The paper said that Fukuda will also visit Qufu of east China's
Shandong Province, the hometown of Confucius, noting that it would help enhance
the Chinese people's sentiment toward Japan.
Xinhua
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