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Japan and China aim to thaw ties Japan and China aim to thaw ties
(about 2 hours later)
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. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, at the start of a summit hailed as a sign of improved relations.
Mr Wen is the first Chinese prime minister to visit Japan in seven years. His Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, visited Beijing in October. The two men issued a joint statement promising to look frankly at their historical disputes, and signed accords on energy and the environment.
China lifted a ban on Japanese rice imports hours before Mr Wen's arrival. "Our talks will be a big step toward building strategically and mutually beneficial relations," Mr Abe said.
Oil and gas disputes, greenhouse emissions and North Korea are high on the agenda of his three-day visit. Mr Wen is the first Chinese prime minister to visit Japan in seven years.
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="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6544037.stm">Chinese press reacts to visit 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." The meeting followed a trip by Mr Abe to China in October - the first sign of a thaw in ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Since former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi stepped down late last year, there has been a noticeable thaw, correspondents say. The Chinese leadership refused to talk to former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi because he insisted on visiting the Yasukuni shrine where Japan's war dead are honoured.
Mr Abe went to Beijing within days of taking office and Mr Wen's visit to Tokyo is another step forward. Japan's neighbours believe the shrine glorifies the country's wartime brutality.
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. Since Mr Koizumi was replaced by Mr Abe, there has been a noticeable change in attitude.
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. Mr Wen has only just arrived in Japan, but already the two sides are talking warmly of improved relations.
Mr Abe has yet to visit the shrine as leader, although he has not ruled out doing so. 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."
Oil disputeOil dispute
The leaders are expected to sign a joint statement focussing on improved strategic ties, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported. During his visit, Mr Wen is due to meet business leaders, as well as Japan's Emperor. He is also due to make a speech to parliament, and even join in a game of baseball.
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. 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="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6544037.stm">Chinese press reacts to visit class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=6033&edition=2&ttl=20070411104338">Have Your Say: New dawn? But there remains much to discuss with Mr Abe and other senior politicians.
"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."
The Japanese say they hope the prime ministers will sign agreements on closer co-operation on energy and the environment.
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.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.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.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 on the issue than Beijing.
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 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.