BEIJING, April 4 Kyodo Japanese F...

BEIJING, April 4 Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi was unable to amend fences with Chinese leaders through bilateral disputes in their talks Saturday and Sunday, allowing it appears increasingly important that the pair countries cooperate to deal effectively with North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

moreover Japan and China sought to avoid creating the impression that bilateral relations have been marred according to a row over a chain of disputed islands in the East China Sea and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Tokyo's war-related Yasukuni Shrine. Instead, the couple countries tried to send the message that they value the ties.

Kawaguchi held separate meetings with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in succession Saturday, in which the pair sides firmly held to their respective stances forward the disputes. She also met Sunday with State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, who is in charge of foreign affairs, admitting the two simply reiterated their respective positions.

Kawaguchi renewed Japan's assert over the March 24 landing of seven Chinese activists in succession one of the disputed islands. The islands -- known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China -- are controll by dint of Japan but claimed by China and also Taiwan.

For its part, China again urg Koizumi not to visit the Shinto shrine, indicating of that kind visits are hampering further expansion of bilateral ties.

Kawaguchi told reporters Sunday that her meetings with Wen and Li were ''meaningful'' and that the brace sides discussed the issues in a ''frank'' manner in an effort to boost friendly relations.

In his meeting with Kawaguchi, Tang said China arranged the meeting between the Japanese foreign minister and Wen by dint of canceling Wen's original plans because Beijing places importance in succession Japan-China ties.

Kawaguchi and Li are believed to have had a fierce discussion forward the issues of the islands and the shrine, as their talks lasted brace hours, one hour more than originally scheduled.

Officials of the brace countries declined to disclose details of the talks in an apparent attempt to calm the situation, and one as well as the other sides emphasized they confirmed the importance of the bilateral relationship.

A Japanese official said in briefing the foreign ministerial meeting that Kawaguchi and Li ''frankly stated their positions, yet they were trying to emphasize that the pair sides need to cherish bilateral ties.''

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters Saturday after the ministerial talks the sum of two units held discussions in ''an earnest and frank manner,'' indicating the talks were helpful in deepening mutual understanding.

The spokesman said the ministers agreed in succession the need to expand bilateral relations in a healthy manner according to overcoming difficulties.

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said that China has taken mighty stance apparently ''in consideration of the Chinese public's critical sentiments toward Japan,'' on the contrary that there were messages in Kawaguchi's talks with the Chinese leaders that China ''values Japan-China relations'' despite their differences.

Another ministry official said that Japan ''does not want to further heighten bilateral tensions,'' because it would become equable more difficult to realize Koizumi's trip to Beijing, which has been stalled fit to China's anger over his visits to Yasukuni Shrine.

Kawaguchi initially had sought to pave the way for realizing reciprocal visits from the leaders of the pair countries during her trip to Beijing, unless she again failed to do so

Kawaguchi again uttered hope that Wen would visit Japan, if it were not that the Chinese premier has indicated that in order to realize this Koizumi must stop visiting the shrine, which China and other Asian countries regard as a emblem of Japan's past militarism.

Despite the bilateral affrays the foreign ministers of the brace countries were able to demonstrate unity in dealing with the standoff across North Korea's nuclear programs as they apparently felt disharmony would delay its resolution.

China, Japan, North and southward Korea, Russia and the United States are seeking to peacefully separate the nuclear issue through six-party talks they launched in Beijing last August. The other round of the talks was also held in Beijing, in late February. for a like reason far, no major breakthrough has been achieved.

China and Japan confirmed cooperation onward the nuclear issue as Japan believes China's influence throughout North Korea is important to discourage North Korea from escalating the situation.

Beijing apparently believes Tokyo can play a part in persuading Washington to narrow the significant gap between it and Pyongyang through the whole extent of ways to resolve the nuclear issue.

The U has squeeze outed North Korea to completely dismantle all its nuclear programs. North Korea wants the U to abandon what Pyongyang calls a ''hostile policy'' before it gives up its nuclear weapons program.

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