Japan, China come together for restarting talks with North Korea

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Argentina News.Net
Sunday 25th December, 2011

BEIJING Death of North Korean leader Kim Jong II and the uncertainty about the new regime, on Sunday saw unlikely allies Japan and China reach out to each other in a bid to promote regional stability.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on a visit to China met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here Sunday to work out the plans to restart talks with North Korea aimed at persuading it to end its nuclear weapons programme.

"With the passing away of Kim Jong Il, the leader of North Korea, we are currently facing a new situation in East Asia," said Noda at a press conference after talks with the Chinese premier.

"Safeguarding the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula is in the common interest of our two countries," Noda emphasized. "On this issue, it is very timely to exchange views with the host of the six-party talks and the country with the most influence on North Korea."

The six-party talks is aimed at getting North Korea to stop its nuclear programme. In 2009, North Korea walked out of the six-party talks, which includes, the United States, Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas. After disengaging from the talks, North Korea had exploded a second nuclear-test device.

Tension in the region escalated last year after two alleged military attacks by North Korea on South Korea.

Normally the bilateral talks would have revolved round issues of mutual concern, including territorial disputes to gain control over energy resources in the East China Sea.

But the death of North Korea's leader Kim on December 17 and the announcement of his younger son Kim Jong Un taking over as the "supreme leader" has shifted the focus to issues of greater regional concern.

Among the six-party group, China has the closest links with North Korea being its supplier of food and energy resources.

Premier Wen also underlined the need for both the countries to cooperate.

The visit of Noda, who came to power in September, was planned prior to the official announcement of Kim's death on December 19.

Noda is scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday before returning home. Earlier, in November Noda had met Hu on the sidelines of an Asian-Pacific regional meeting in Hawaii.

Marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between their countries, in 2012 both Japan and China are keen to work towards building closer cooperation.

To realize this objective, officials from both countries Sunday signed memorandums of understanding on youth exchanges and setting up an investment fund for promoting clean energy and environmental protection.

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Source: http://www.argentinanews.net/story/202137063

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