Japan's new leadership should remove political obstacles in
bilateral relations by ending visits to the Yasukuni Shrine,
Premier Wen Jiabao said on Monday.
The top-level visits by Japanese leaders, including Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the shrine that honors convicted
class-A WWII war criminals have deeply hurt the feelings of Chinese
and Asian people, and have also formed political obstacles in
Sino-Japanese relations, Wen said.
Wen added that China and Japan are neighbors that should have a
long-term friendship, and he hoped that Koizumi's successor would
deal with the issue appropriately to normalize bilateral
relations.
Koizumi is due to step down as prime minister later this month,
and Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe is widely expected to win
the contest for his position on September 20.
The normalization of bilateral ties will benefit the people of
the two countries as well as world peace, Wen added.
The visiting Chinese premier made the remarks when asked by
reporters if he had any contact with his Japanese counterpart
Koizumi during the two-day 6th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
summit?in Finland, which concluded on Monday.
Wen said that they exchanged simple greetings, but did not have
any other contact.
Chinese and South Korean leaders have refused to hold bilateral
meetings with Koizumi, angered by his annual visits to the
shrine.?
With regard to the situation in Taiwan, where tens of thousands
of people are protesting against scandal-plagued leader Chen
Shui-bian, Wen declined to make any direct comment.
"This is?a question that should be resolved by Taiwan
people themselves," Wen said, but he added that the central
government always pushes for cross-Straits cooperation as well as
direct postal, transportation and business links across the Taiwan
Straits.
"We will continue to do things that are good for Taiwan people,
but will keep alert to speeches by the Taiwan leader on 'Taiwan
independence'," he said.
Chen is at the center of corruption allegations and is under
pressure to step down as leader.
Wen on Monday reiterated his strong support for Margaret Chan
from Hong Kong who is running for the position of director-general
of the World Health Organization (WHO).
"The central government regards Chan as the best candidate for
the post," he said, noting that he has asked foreign leaders he met
on the sideline of the ASEM summit to support China's
nomination.
Chan, 58, used to serve as the WHO's assistant director-general
for communicable diseases. She joined the Geneva-based agency in
2003 after serving for four years as Hong Kong's Director of
Health.
(China Daily September 13, 2006)