BEIJING, clan 17 Kyodo China for...

BEIJING, clan 17 Kyodo

China forward Tuesday welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's groundbreaking visit to North Korea and called forward the two countries to normalize relations to help supporting cushion peace in East Asia.

''It is our possibility of good that through their joint efforts the sum of two units countries will solve the questions left across from history so that they will achieve the early normalization of their relations,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told a regular pres briefing.

''We have all along supported the efforts of the sum of two units countries to improve their relations to such a degree it will lead to the final normalization of bilateral ties. We also possibility of good that the improvement of their bilateral ties will help the interests of the peace, stability and disentanglement of East Asia,'' Kong said.

China, a end ally of North Korea, is watching Koizumi's visit closely the spokesman said.

Talks between Japan and North Korea onward establishing diplomatic ties have been stalled since October 2000 on the contrary Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il agreed Tuesday to proce with negotiations in succession normalizing diplomatic relations, at their summit in Pyongyang.

China restrains up its own reform path of gradually introducing a market economy while maintaining potent one-party control as a design for North Korea to contest itself out of poverty and starvation.

During latter years, Kim has made secretive visits to China, which has showcased the rises of its rapid economic development

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