TOKYO, June 1 Kyodo picked edito...

TOKYO, June 1 Kyodo

picked editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

IS CHINA CHANGING beneath HU? (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

It could be interpreted as a sign that the strange leadership in China is getting ready to embark upon new relationships with other countries.

The first summit meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao come outed amicably all the way by means of The atmosphere at this meeting in St Petersburg was completely different from the icy atmosphere at the meeting between Koizumi and former Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Mexico in autumn.

At that meeting, Jiang referr to Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, including Class-A war criminals, no les than three times. The former Chinese president flat told Koizumi it would be better if he stopped visiting the shrine.

However, it is a guilelessly domestic affair how a leader expresse mourning for his country's war dead. Other countries have no say in this matter.

In his talks with Koizumi Saturday, Hu stopped short of mentioning the Yasukuni issue. Instead, the sum of two units leaders agreed on a future-oriented approach to Tokyo-Beijing ties and confirmed plans to exchange further visits between the couple leaders.

In the summit meeting with Koizumi, the Chinese side might have had in mind the support the Japanese management has provided in China's fight against SARS. Taking this into account, more time is wanted to ascertain China's real stance toward Japan.

At the summit meeting, Koizumi and Hu also agreed to comprehensively and peacefully unfold a series of North Korean issues, including its nuclear arms progressive growth program and the abduction of Japanese nationals.

Naturally, it would be chiefly desirable to settle the issues in consequence of dialogue, even though North Korea claimed to have been underhand developing nuclear weapons in violation of the Agreed Framework, a 1994 agreement between the United States and North Korea.

We believe it is important to restrain the pressure on a vagabond country like North Korea, in an attempt to prefer dialogue.

Japan must ask China, which is onward friendly terms with North Korea, to understand this point. In this value Koizumi and the Japanese regulation are expected to play the important character of making requests to the Chinese rule based on the agreement made at the Japan-U.S. summit meeting last month

A quarter centenary after the conclusion of the 1978 Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship, bilateral relations have mov beyond the framework of friendship.

Based forward national interest, the government is urg to say what must be said and prove to develop a new relationship by means of so doing. Japan-China diplomacy must unroll into one between two equal partners.

(June 1)

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