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Japan and China seek stronger ties, set up a hotline

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BEIJING- Leaders from Japan and China agreed on Friday to set up a hotline to deepen trust and ties between Asia's two biggest economies and vowed to work together to help the global efforts to curb the financial crisis.

Published: Fri 24 Oct 2008, 2:31 PM

Updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 2:25 PM

  • By
  • (Reuters)

In bilateral meetings ahead of the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of 27 EU member states and 16 Asian countries, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao agreed with Japan's outspoken nationalist prime minister that they will promote strategic and mutually beneficial ties.

"Expanding relations between Japan and China will lead to global stability and prosperity," Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said in a speech at a ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of a Japan-China peace and friendship treaty.

"I think we can have more confidence in potential power of the Japan-China relationship and cooperation."

Aso and Chinese leaders agreed to set up a hotline between Tokyo and Beijing, where many still harbour resentment over Japan's invasion and occupation of parts of China from 1931 to 1945.

China replaced the United States as Japan's top trade partner in 2007, with two-way trade totalling $236.6 billion and the two export powers' efforts could be crucial in steadying the world economy.

"The financial system crisis in the United States and Europe is now crossing borders and affecting real economies in other countries," Aso said.

"To overcome the current situation and gain back stability and prosperity in the world economy, it is indispensable for the global community to cooperate. We agreed at earlier Japan-China leaders' meetings that both Japan and China will contribute to that global efforts," he said.

At the bilateral meetings, leaders from the two neighbours agreed to cooperate on tackling the global financial crisis at a planned summit of global leaders to be held in the Washington on Nov. 15.

"We will have a G20 summit meeting in Washington and now we have the ASEM summit meeting with European countries, so we discussed the need for both countries to hold hands and work together," Aso told reporters after his meetings with Chinese leaders.

Aso came into office with a reputation as an outspoken nationalist, especially wary of China's growing military and economic clout. That has raised fears that under him bilateral relations could deteriorate after a period of warming.

Aso sought to soften his hawkish image and stressed that the two nations were indispensable partners, noting that Japan's trade with China was now 50 times that of 30 years ago.



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