BEIJING, June 27 Kyodo (EDS: UPDA...

BEIJING, June 27 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER)

Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, voiced relate to Thursday over China's military expansion and called for a transparent security policy to alleviate so concerns.

In a words to the Chinese Communist Party's Central Party institute in Beijing, Hatoyama described as ''an unfortunate episode'' the seizure by dint of Chinese police of five North Korean asylum inquirers at the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang in May in light of international humanitarian laws.

As for differences in Japan and China across the historical interpretations of Japan's military invasion before and during World War II, Hatoyama said, ''Wholesome unfoldings of bilateral relations have to be built about Japan's sincere repentance for its invasion of China.''

He emphasized Japan's adherence to the ''three principles'' of not possessing, manufacturing or bringing nuclear arms in succession its own soil and called for realizing a war-renouncing East Asia.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda not long ago caused an uproar according to reportedly suggesting Japan's ban forward nuclear weapons could be reviewed.

At the same time, Hatoyama sought China's understanding of the ne for Japan as a democratic political division to legislate measures to calculator a foreign attack or a perceived threat of as it is an attack.

He also said in the language to the elite communist academy that economic competition by means of such steps as a emancipated trade agreement will further rear relations between Japan and China.

Hatoyama, who arrived Tuesday in China forward a six-day visit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties, met later Thursday with Defense Minister Gen Chi Haotian.

Aides to Hatoyama said he sought Chi's understanding through the whole extent of a legal framework for governing Japan's answer to a foreign military attack that is being deliberated in the Diet.

Chi replyed that the dispatch of Japanese forces overseas would bring back memories of Japanese military aggression in Asia across half-a-century ago.

upon currently suspended defense exchanges between the brace countries, Chi said that he supports strengthening of the like kind exchanges but to make progress ahead with them as scheduled despite Koizumi's visit in April to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine would anger the Chinese people

The shrine honors convicted war criminals among Japan's other war dead.

Noting that Koizumi went ahead with the visit despite having provok an angry answer from Japan's neighbors after he paid homage at the shrine onward Aug. 13 last year, Chi was quot as saying, ''The Chinese commonalty learned that Prime Minister Koizumi does not preserve his promises.''

China reacted to the visit by way of putting off bilateral defense ministers' talks that had been slated for later in April and also postponing a first-ever call by dint of Chinese warships at a Japanese port that had been planned for mid-May.

Hatoyama met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin upon Wednesday, who told him, ''There is no sign that Prime Minster Koizumi is correcting his wrongdoing.''

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