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Chinese premier arrives in Japan Japan and China aim to thaw ties
(about 3 hours later)
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has arrived in Japan for a summit that is being hailed as an important sign of improved bilateral relations. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is meeting Japan's Prime Minister at the start of a summit hailed as a sign of improved bilateral relations.
Mr Wen is the first Chinese prime minister to visit Japan in seven years. His Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, visited Beijing last October. Mr Wen is the first Chinese prime minister to visit Japan in seven years. His Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, visited Beijing in October.
Relations between the two countries were strained when Mr Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi was in office. China lifted a ban on Japanese rice imports hours before Mr Wen's arrival.
But since then, there has been a noticeable thaw in relations. Oil and gas disputes, greenhouse emissions and North Korea are high on the agenda of his three-day visit.
The two nations have worked together in the negotiations on North Korea's nuclear programme, and set up a joint study group to try to resolve disputes over their shared history. KEY ISSUES History: Japan's neighbours often think it has not done enough to atone for wartime atrocitiesTrade: Bilateral trade is growing stronglyNorth Korea: Japan often takes a tougher stance than China over the nuclear issueEast China Sea: Beijing and Tokyo disagree over the boundary between their exclusive economic zonesSecurity: Japan wants to revise is pacifist constitution, which concerns China. China's military expansion concerns Japan class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=6033&edition=2&ttl=20070411104338">Have Your Say: New dawn? Already the two sides are talking warmly of improved relations. Responding to reports that Mr Wen considered this an "ice-melting" trip, a Japanese government spokesperson said: "We don't think there is any 'ice' left."
Symbolic trip Since former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi stepped down late last year, there has been a noticeable thaw, correspondents say.
Japan and China have had a long but, at times, troubled relationship. Mr Abe went to Beijing within days of taking office and Mr Wen's visit to Tokyo is another step forward.
The situation got worse under former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who stepped down late last year. The two nations have worked together in negotiations on North Korea's nuclear programme, and set up a joint study group to try to resolve disputes over their shared history.
The Chinese leadership refused to talk to Mr Koizumi, because he insisted on visiting the Yasukuni shrine where Japan's war dead are honoured - a shrine which Japan's neighbours believe glorifies the country's wartime brutality. The Chinese leadership refused to talk to Mr Koizumi because he insisted on visiting the Yasukuni shrine where Japan's war dead are honoured - a shrine which Japan's neighbours believe glorifies the country's wartime brutality.
Japan and China have claims over East China Sea depositsMr Abe has yet to visit the shrine as leader, although he has not ruled out doing so in the future. Mr Abe has yet to visit the shrine as leader, although he has not ruled out doing so.
Since Mr Koizumi stepped down last autumn, both sides have been making a renewed effort to try to rebuild their relationship.
Mr Abe went to Beijing within days of taking office, and Mr Wen's visit to Tokyo is another step forward.
Mr Wen was due to head straight for the prime minister's office for a meeting with Mr Abe upon his arrival in Tokyo.
The Chinese premier is also due to make a speech to parliament, meet business leaders and the emperor and even join in a game of baseball later this week.
"I hope the visit will be a memorable one for Premier Wen," Mr Abe told reporters. "I want to make the meeting productive, to build a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship."
Oil disputeOil dispute
The two men have much to discuss. The Japanese say they hope the prime ministers will sign agreements on closer co-operation in the energy and environmental fields. The leaders are expected to sign a joint statement focussing on improved strategic ties, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.
Japan wants to sell China technology that would allow it to become more energy efficient, and also help China reduce pollution. Mr Wen and Mr Abe will discuss improving strategic tiesDuring his visit the Chinese premier is also due to make a speech to parliament, meet business leaders and the emperor and even join in a game of baseball later this week.
Agreement on a Japanese proposal for a joint venture in the East China Sea, where there are believed to be significant reserves of oil and gas, will be harder to reach, according to the BBC correspondent in Tokyo, Chris Hogg. "I hope the visit will be a memorable one for Premier Wen," Mr Abe told reporters. "I want to make the meeting productive, to build a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship."
Negotiators from the two sides have met twice in past weeks, seeking progress in the dispute, but Japanese officials have recently played down hopes of a breakthrough. The Japanese say they hope the prime ministers will sign agreements on closer co-operation on energy and the environment.
Efforts to end North Korea's nuclear arms programme are also certain to be on the agenda of Mr Wen's visit. Japan - already China's biggest trading partner - wants to sell China technology that would allow it to become more energy efficient and help China reduce pollution.
Agreement on a Japanese proposal for a joint venture in the East China Sea, where there are believed to be significant reserves of oil and gas, will be harder to reach, according to the BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo.
Efforts to end North Korea's nuclear arms programme are also certain to be on the agenda.
Both sides support the six-nation agreement reached in February to disable North Korea's nuclear programme, but Tokyo often takes a tougher line against Pyongyang than Beijing.Both sides support the six-nation agreement reached in February to disable North Korea's nuclear programme, but Tokyo often takes a tougher line against Pyongyang than Beijing.
There are other differences too. Japan says China is secretive about its rapidly growing defence budget, while Beijing is wary of plans to revise Japan's pacifist constitution to make it easier to deploy troops. Japan says China is secretive about its rapidly growing defence budget, while Beijing is wary of plans to revise Japan's pacifist constitution to make it easier to deploy troops.
This remains an uneasy relationship, our correspondent says - and some experts believe the fact that face to face meetings between the two men are taking place at all is an achievement of some significance. This remains an uneasy relationship, our correspondent says - and some experts believe the fact that face-to-face meetings are taking place at all is an achievement of some significance.