{"id":63162,"date":"2018-04-16T06:17:22","date_gmt":"2018-04-16T06:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=63162"},"modified":"2018-04-16T06:17:22","modified_gmt":"2018-04-16T06:17:22","slug":"china-japan-vow-north-korea-cooperation-plan-high-level-visits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/china-japan-vow-north-korea-cooperation-plan-high-level-visits.html","title":{"rendered":"China, Japan Vow North Korea Cooperation, Plan High-Level Visits"},"content":{"rendered":"

China, Japan Vow North Korea Cooperation, Plan High-Level Visits<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The foreign ministers of China and Japan agreed to work closely to push North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, in the latest sign of improved cooperation between Asia\u2019s two largest economies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missiles in a complete, irreversible and verifiable way, we agreed we must enforce the relevant Security Council resolutions and work closely together,\u201d Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told reporters Sunday in Tokyo after a meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wang\u2019s trip — the first of its kind in more than than eight years — comes ahead of a summit between the two Koreas and a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. China and Japan are trying to repair relations amid policy whiplash from the U.S. over trade and security.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kono said he and Wang agreed to improve ties by their leaders pay mutual visits, starting with a visit next month to Japan by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for a trilateral summit involving South Korean President Moon Jae-in. While Wang didn\u2019t specifically refer to a leadership meeting, according to a readout of the meeting from China\u2019s foreign ministry, he said his visit had established the conditions for the \u201cnext step\u201d in high-level exchanges.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long-fraught ties between Tokyo and Beijing deteriorated to a 40-year low after the Japanese government\u2019s 2012 purchase of disputed islets near Taiwan sparked Chinese demonstrations, damaged trade and even raised fears of a military clash. Since taking office at the height of the dispute, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought rapprochement with his country\u2019s largest trading partner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read: China and Japan Revive Economic Dialogue Amid U.S. Trade Threats<\/span><\/p>\n

Abe finally managed to turn the tide last year with a qualified pledge of cooperation on Chinese President Xi Jinping\u2019s signature Belt and Road trade and infrastructure initiative. Now, China has an added incentive to repair ties with Japan, after a series of surprises from Trump on North Korea, Taiwan and trade sanctions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wang said the visit came in response to Japan\u2019s continuing \u201cpositive policies\u201d toward China and added that he hoped the relationship was headed back to a \u201cnormal track.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor the Abe administration, China is essential to effectively pressuring North Korea,\u201d said Madoka Fukuda, a professor of global politics at Hosei University in Tokyo. China is motivated by a lack of transparency in U.S. policy making, as well as tougher American security and trade stances, she added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abe is set to meet Trump in Florida this week, where he plans to press the president to maintain a hard line on North Korea and seek to persuade him to take a more multilateral approach to trade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tensions Linger<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite the diplomatic push, tensions over territory and Japan\u2019s militarist history remain. Coast guard and military ships from both countries continue to tail one another around the uninhabited Senkaku islands, known as the Diaoyus to China. Japan\u2019s Self-Defense Forces activated a new amphibious unit to help defend remote islands just a week ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wang alluded to those tensions, citing \u201ccomplex and sensitive factors\u201d in the relationship. He urged Japan to use \u201chistory as a mirror,\u201d and not view each other as threats.<\/span><\/p>\n

A poll published in December found a marked fall in the percentage of respondents in Japan and China who saw ties between the two countries negatively. Still, few see the relationship as good.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump on TPP<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A high-level Japan-China economic dialogue will resume Monday, amid concerns in both countries about the potential for a trade war sparked by the U.S. The Chinese are seeking Japanese cooperation on U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs implemented last month, Kyodo News reported Saturday, citing people close to the talks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kono said that he hoped the first economic dialogue between the countries in eight years would be a \u201cfruitful discussion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump threw fresh confusion into trade negotiations Thursday by instructing advisers to review the possibility of returning to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. The TPP, which Trump withdrew from soon after taking office last year, includes 11 Pacific Rim nations, but not China.<\/span><\/p>\n

Successful visits by Wang and Li would provide positive publicity at a crucial time for Abe, whose chances of winning a ruling party leadership election in September have been damaged by a series of allegations of cronyism and government cover-ups. Recent polls show public support for his cabinet has fallen below disapproval.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor China, Trump is unstable and unreliable,\u201d said Yasuhiro Matsuda, a professor of international politics at the University of Tokyo. \u201cEven if Abe resigns, Japan is relatively stable. So they can use ties with Japan as a form of insurance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2018-04-16\/china-japan-vow-north-korea-cooperation-plan-high-level-visits<\/span><\/p>\n

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