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On July 16, DPJ President Banri Kaieda met with Liu Yunshan, a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, during his visit to China.
At the start of the meeting, Liu welcomed the DPJ delegation, stating: “Your visit on this occasion has great significance.” Kaieda responded, “The relationship between Japan and China is an extremely important one, but it cannot necessary be described as being in a good state at the current time.” He expressed his reservations regarding the fact that opportunities for politicians on both sides to exchange frank opinions had decreased, and stated, “Efforts from both sides are needed in order to resolve problems, and it is important for us to meet face-to-face, and engage in open-minded exchanges.” He went on to comment on the APEC meeting due to be held in China in the fall, saying “I sincerely hope the meeting will be a success.”
Liu stated, “I am concerned about the current difficult state of relations.” He said that China and Japan shared a mutually beneficial strategic relationship, and that it was important for the two nations to engage in a future-orientated and friendly way, and went on to state the Chinese position, saying: “Many difficulties exist simultaneously, intertwined in a complex fashion, and their cause is historical perceptions and the Senkaku Island issue.” Kaieda made clear the DPJ’s perception of past history, and went on to state “The Japanese position with regard to the Senkaku issue differs, but right now we must work to avoid accidental clashes.” He called for high-ranking working-level talks on the mechanism for maritime crisis management, the framework for which was created at the time of the DPJ administration, to be resumed as soon as possible.
Kaieda went on to state, “I am optimistic about the future of Japan-China relations. We currently face some difficulties, but if the politicians on both sides can skillfully overcome these, then we can enjoy a bright future.” He suggested that to achieve this goal, human exchanges, particularly large-scale youth exchanges, should be implemented. In response Liu recalled: “One event in the course of our party-to-party exchanges which left a particularly strong impression was the large DPJ delegation to China in 2009, during which 143 Diet members each shook hands with President Hu Jintao. The atmosphere on that occasion was really tremendous.” He continued by relating his own personal experiences, stating: “In 1984, I participated in people-to-people exchanges, visiting various regions of Japan over a period of 21 days. That was right after the normalization of bilateral relations, and so I wrote a book based on my experiences during my visit to Japan, and by introducing the situation in Japan to people in China, made some small contribution to Japan-China relations.” With regard to the current state of the bilateral relationship, Liu commented, “There are some contradictions and difficulties, but if we can engage in a constructive and positive manner, there is hope for the development of both nations.” Kaieda stated, “We share the same belief that we must overcome our difficulties in order to make a bright future for both Japan and China. Let’s work together on this.”
Later on the same day, Kaieda had a meeting with Wang Jiarui, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Minister Wang welcomed the DPJ delegation, stating “Though it is true that China and Japan have different points of view on some issues, both sides need to cooperate in order to overcome our differences. To achieve this, we should open up our minds and engage in frank discussions.” Kaieda expressed his appreciation to Minister Wang for the long-last relationship between the both Parties, saying “When I was appointed President of the DPJ, the very first letter I received from overseas was from Minister Wang.” He went on: “To overcome the current crisis, it is quite important that politicians on both sides communicate,” expressing his hope that a summit meeting between the leaders of both nations would be realized at the APEC meeting scheduled to take place in China this fall.
Minister Wang, looking back on the exchanges between the two Parties, stated “there’s no change in our stance, but on the Japanese side differences of opinion have emerged”, and he explained China’s stance on the current situation. He also stated, “In times like this, we have to put our heads together to promote confidence-building measures.” Kaieda, explaining how the Sensakus were acquired by the Japanese government when the DPJ was in power, stated, “Though we cannot agree with the Chinese claim, to avoid the risk of a clash it is necessary to create a mechanism for maritime crisis management at an early date and start it functioning.” Regarding other issues, Kaieda emphasized the importance of diplomatic efforts to avoid the creation of misunderstandings with neighbouring countries, stating “It is essential that politicians visit each other and exchange views directly.”
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