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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow
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Japan, China agree to pursue diplomacy on Iraq problem
Deputy Foreign Minister Minoru Tamba expressed Japan's grave concern over the situation surrounding Iraq in talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and urged him to convey the message to top Chinese leaders, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.
Tang told Tamba that Iraq should abide by U.N. resolutions calling on it to unconditionally accept full U.N. weapons inspections but the international community should also respect Iraq's territorial sovereignty and security, the officials said.
''China opposes the use of military force and military threat in any shape for resolving this problem,'' Tang was quoted as saying.
Tang promised Tamba that he will correctly convey Japan's concern over the problem to the Chinese government, the officials said.
The bilateral talks were held while Japan is stepping up its own diplomatic efforts to stave off U.S.-led, British-supported military attacks against Iraq which seem increasingly likely unless Baghdad compromises.
Earlier in the day, Japanese Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi urged British Foreign Minister Robin Cook to observe the so-called Olympic Truce during the Feb. 7-22 Nagano Winter Games.
The Olympic Truce is an attempt to emulate the ideals of the ancient Olympics under which the city-states of Greece would cease all hostilities during the quadrennial games.
It has been at least partially honored during the period the summer Olympics are under way.
In a 10-minute telephone conversation, Obuchi said Japan understands Britain's diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iraq problem but also wants Britain to recognize the Olympic Truce.
Saying that he understood Japan's stance on the issue, Cook agreed with Obuchi that London will cooperate with Tokyo in resolving the Iraq problem.
Before the telephone talks with Cook, Obuchi told a news conference that Japan would urge the U.S. and other nations concerned to observe the Olympic Truce ahead of Saturday's opening ceremony for the Games, the officials said.
The U.S. and Britain are trying to drum up support among allies for a military strike against Iraq if Baghdad continues to refuse to allow unfettered U.N. weapons inspections.
In talks with Obuchi, Tang invited him to visit China before Chinese President Jiang Zemin makes a scheduled visit to Japan this fall.
Tang said Jiang's visit to Japan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1978 Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty will have ''historic significance'' for bilateral relations.
Tang and Obuchi also shared the view that an ongoing visit to Japan by Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian has made a successful contribution to security dialogue, in line with the recent development of bilateral political and economic relations.
It was also agreed that Hu Jintao, a Standing Committee member of the Chinese Communist Party's Political Bureau, will pay a visit to Japan this spring.
In the vice foreign ministerial talks, Tang reaffirmed China's position that Beijing will not devalue its currency in international monetary markets to avoid further adverse effects on already-troubled Asian economies.
(Kyodo News)
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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun