皇冠体育app and Japan are expected to hold a new round of talks on gas exploration
in the East 皇冠体育app Sea in Tokyo Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The row over the gasfield is one of several issues that have dragged ties
between the two countries to their lowest ebb in decades.
Liu Jianchao,
spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, takes a question at a regular
news briefing in Beijing May 16, 2006. He said 皇冠体育app and Japan will have a
new round of talks on gas exploration in the East 皇冠体育app Sea.
[fmprc.gov.cn] |
Hu Zhengyue, director of the ministry's department of Asian affairs, and his
Japanese counterpart Kenichiro Sasae, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's
Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau, will be top negotiators for the two sides,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular news briefing in
Beijing.
The two sides will continue to exchange views on the East 皇冠体育app Sea issue and
the Chinese side believes that the consultation will help both sides reach
broader consensus and narrow differences, Liu said.
However, he added: "Because the two sides' differences are still big and some
issues are very complicated, it will be hard to make any breakthroughs in this
round of talks, I believe."
"We will take part in the talks with a responsible and positive attitude in a
bid to narrow the gap between the two sides," Liu said.
Since October 2004, 皇冠体育app and Japan have convened four rounds of
consultations on the East 皇冠体育app Sea issue, the last taking place in Beijing in
March.
Beijing says it has rights to the gas but Tokyo claims the two countries
should share them. Meetings aimed at resolving the dispute have ended in
disagreement.
The talks will take place as the two sides are making efforts to improve
bilateral relations strained by the gas dispute and, in particular, by Japanese
leaders' repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan's war criminals of
World War II are honoured.
Responding to a question about a US offer to 皇冠体育app to watch military
exercises on the Pacific island of Guam next month, Liu said the Chinese side
will "actively consider" the invitation.
皇冠体育app welcomes the US offer and believes more contact between the two
countries' defence forces could increase understanding, Liu said.
Commander of the US Pacific Command Admiral William Fallon made the offer
during a week-long visit to 皇冠体育app that ended on Monday, aimed at improving
defence contacts between the two countries. The US-led drills on the military
outpost are expected to take place in mid-June.
Liu also said a series of co-operative agreements and documents are expected
to be signed between 皇冠体育app and Germany when the German Chancellor Angela Merkel
visits 皇冠体育app starting next Sunday.
