State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met with former Japanese Foreign
Minister Makiko Tanaka yesterday, urging the two countries to
enhance exchanges in various fields following Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China last month.
Tang hoped the two countries will strengthen high-level
exchanges and further cooperation in areas including trade,
culture, youth and defense to maintain the momentum of the
improvement of bilateral relations.
"Not long ago, Prime Minister Abe made a successful visit to
China, breaking the five-year-long political stalemate between the
two countries and bringing the bilateral ties to the normal track
of development," said Tang.
Tang expressed his hope Tanaka could make new contributions to
the development of China-Japan ties.
Tanaka is the daughter of late Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. She
was appointed Japan's first woman foreign minister in 2001, but was
removed from her position in 2002 due to a feud with ministry
bureaucrats.
It is in the common interests of both countries to develop
friendly relations on the basis of proper attitude toward history,
said Tanaka, adding that she will continue to contribute to
cooperation and exchanges in various fields between the two
countries.
(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2006)
