China and Japan will help build a new framework to fight climate
change after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, says a press
communiqu issued yesterday by the first China-Japan high-level
economic dialogue in Beijing.
The two countries have agreed to strengthen partnerships in
energy conservation, environmental protection, food safety and
protection of intellectual property rights.
They have pledged to work jointly to tackle global warming under
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and want the
post-Kyoto framework to be an effective mechanism of which all
major economies should be a part exhibiting "responsible"
attitudes, the communiqu says.
The two countries' pledge comes at a time when world leaders are
meeting at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia.
Asserting that their economic ties were mutually beneficial,
China and Japan agreed to promote their strategic relationship by
pushing for greater cooperation in the field of energy - energy
conservation and use of clean energy, environmental protection, and
the protection of intellectual property rights, the communiqu
says.
The two countries also agreed to solve issues of common concern,
such as food safety and export of pumpkins and beef, mutton,
venison to Japan, as well as rice exports to China, through
technical negotiations by the end of next March.
China and Japan began their first high-level economic dialogue
in Beijing on Saturday. Premier Wen Jiabao and then Japanese prime
minister Shinzo Abe jointly launched the dialogue mechanism during
Wen's visit to Japan in April.
Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan led the Chinese side to the dialogue,
while Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura headed his
country's delegation.
Komura meets with Hu
At a meeting with Komura and other Japanese delegates yesterday,
President Hu Jintao said the dialogue is a "success".
Komura's visit will surely play "a significant role" in promoting
bilateral ties, Hu said.
Developing long-term, stable and good-neighborly ties conforms
to the interests of the two countries and their peoples, Hu said.
It is also beneficial to peace, stability and development of Asia
and the world at large.
"Having closer coordination and cooperation in regional and
international affairs helps the two sides to jointly tackle such
global challenges as climate change, energy security and
environmental protection and benefits the well-being of the two
peoples and the world as well," he said.
The cabinet-level meeting was the most comprehensive top-level
dialogue since diplomatic relations between the two countries were
normalized 35 years ago. The dialogue comes a week after Wen met
with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Singapore at the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings.
Another sign of the warming Sino-Japanese ties was the visit of
a Chinese warship to Japan last week. The development was the first
of its kind since World War II.
Komura said the Japanese side is gearing up for Fukuda's visit
to China, which is likely to take place later this month or in
early January.
Japan hopes President Hu will visit Japan as early as possible,
Komura said. At a news conference in Beijing yesterday, a Japanese
Foreign Ministry spokesman said Hu has expressed his wish to visit
Japan early next year.
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa will
visit China this week, the Japan Times reported yesterday. The
opposition party leader is scheduled to be in Beijing on Thursday
on a three-day visit. He will meet with Hu on Friday.
(China Daily December 4, 2007)
