Interview: Japanese PM hopes to elevate Japan-China ties to new level

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is in an interview with Xinhua and other Chinese media at the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday before his upcoming（即将来临的）visit to China. He said he hopes to further promote relations with China to a new stage.  (Xinhua Photo)
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    TOKYO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said here Tuesday before his upcoming visit to China that he hopes to further promote relations with China to a new stage.

    During an interview with Xinhua and other Chinese media at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Fukuda said he is "glad" to visit China in this memorable year marking the 35th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-China diplomatic ties（中日外交关系的正常化）.

    "I expect to further promote the development trend of Japan-China ties so that next year bilateral ties（双边关系） can develop even faster and move into a new stage（进入一个新的阶段）," he said.

    Fukuda added that he will discuss with Chinese leaders the building of strategic and mutually beneficial relations and carry out consultations on how to make contributions to the two countries and the region through Japan-China cooperation.

    The number of annual visitors between Japan and China has reached 5 million, the prime minister said, adding that enhancing exchange and mutual understanding will be conducive to（adj.  有助的, 促成的, 有益的） consolidating the bilateral friendship（巩固双边友谊）.

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is in an interview with Xinhua and other Chinese media at the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday before his upcoming visit to China. (Xinhua Photo)

    Japan-China relations have been developing smoothly after the visit by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to China in October 2006 and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Japan in April 2007, Fukuda said, calling for the maintaining of top-level exchange visits and establishing relations based on mutual trust.

    Referring to the economic issue, Fukuda said China's economic development offers a good opportunity to Japan as well as to the rest of the world.

    He said China's economic development is important to Japan's economic growth, adding that "bilateral ties have become increasingly complementary, and one cannot do without the other."

    China is Japan's largest trading partner while Japan is the largest investor in China, Fukuda said. Further promotion of economic cooperation and exchange is important to the healthy growth of both countries' economies as well as the stability and development of Asia and the world, he added.

    Commenting on the peaceful development of China, Fukuda said China's development offers a good opportunity to Japan and the rest of the world. The healthy growth of Japan-China relations is of great significance to the two nations and the two peoples as well as Asia and the world. With such consensus（基于这样的共识）, Japan is willing to develop future-oriented ties with China based on mutual understanding and trust, he said.

    Japan is ready to promote dialogue and exchange with China in all areas and at all levels with emphasis on exchange between the young people who shoulder the countries' future, Fukuda said.

    Regarding environmental protection and energy, Fukuda said these are important issues "not only for the future of Japan and China, but also for that of the region and the whole of international society."

    "Environmental protection and energy are important issues of cooperation between Japan and China in building mutually beneficial relations which can contribute to Asia and the world," he said.

    Japan is ready to cooperate with China in promoting efficiency of coal-fired power（煤电）generation, water purification and a recycling economy, said Fukuda, adding that the two neighbors have already started work in those fields through a joint committee on environmental protection and high-level economic dialogue.

    Fukuda, who took office in September, is scheduled to begin a four-day official visit to China on Thursday.

    He said in the interview that he plans to make detailed suggestions on bilateral cooperation in environmental protection and energy during his visit.

    The premier also said he expects to discuss the East China Sea issue, climate change and the Korean Peninsula issue with Chinese leaders during his meetings in Beijing.

    The Japanese prime minister is scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, and meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and top legislator（立法，立法委员） Wu Bangguo.

    Fukuda will also give a speech at the prestigious（adj.  享有声望的, 声望很高的） Peking University and visit a primary school in Beijing. His itinerary（n.  旅程, 游记, 旅行指南adj.  巡回的, 旅程的, 游历的）, among other activities, includes a visit to Tianjin, a city close to Beijing, and Qufu, in Shandong Province, the hometown of Confucius（孔子）.

FM spokesman: China attaches great importance to Japanese PM's visit

    BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Tuesday China attaches great importance to the coming visit by Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

    Qin said at a regular press conference that Fukuda's visit is another important measure to further improve and develop the China-Japan relations, following the ice-breaking and thawing（n.  融化, 解冻; 解冻时期, 解冻季节; 缓和v.  融化, 融解; 变暖和; 解冻; 变得随和, 变得融洽, 变得不拘束; 使融化, 使解冻, 使融解; 使变得不拘束, 使融洽） trips by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, respectively.

Japanese PM: Environment, energy vital in Japan-China co-op

    TOKYO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said here Tuesday before his upcoming visit to China that environmental protection and energy are important issues of cooperation between the two countries.

    During an interview with Xinhua and other Chinese media at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Fukuda said environmental protection and energy are important issues "not only for the future of Japan and China, but also for that of the region and the whole international society."
Japanese PM: China's economic growth an opportunity to Japan, world

    TOKYO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said here Tuesday before his upcoming visit to China that China's economic development offers a good opportunity to Japan as well as to the rest of the world.

    During an interview with Xinhua and other Chinese media at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Fukuda said that China's economic development is important to Japan's economic growth.

Fukuda: Japan, China face opportunities to expand communication

    TOKYO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said recently through a Japanese newspaper that Japan and China face a great deal of important opportunities to expand communication in all fields in 2008.