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Japan-China Summit Meeting
In the morning of May 31 (afternoon of May 31, Japan Time), Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held talks with Mr. Hu Jintao, the President of the People's Republic of China, at a hotel in St. Petersburg. This was the first summit meeting for President Hu to hold with Prime Minister Koizumi since the former's appointment as President in March 2003. At the summit meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his view that Japan and China should enhance political exchange, including the leader level dialogue toward the future-oriented development of Japan-China relations. President Hu expressed as well his stance to make joint efforts for the realization of this goal. With regard to the issue of North Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi conveyed to President Hu that Mr. George W. Bush, President of the United States had highly valued the tripartite talks among North Korea, the United States and China, and that he thought that China would continue to play an important role. Prime Minister Koizumi also expressed his stance that Japan, China and the Republic of Korea, and in some cases, Russia, should seek a solution to issues such as the North Korea's nuclear development program and the abductions of Japanese nationals. In response, President Hu expressed his support for the participation of Japan and the Republic of Korea in the tripartite talks among North Korea, the United States and China, and said, with regard to the issue of North Korea, that China would support the appropriate resolution for the issues through dialogue. Prime Minister Koizumi said, referring to the construction of the high-speed train link between Beijing and Shanghai, "Japanese industry circles are strongly interested in this project. It will greatly enhance the possibilities for Japan-China cooperation," and recommended him to introduce a Japanese Shinkansen, "bullet train"-style railway system. In response, President Hu said, "China is currently discussing whether to introduce the maglev system or a rail system. When a decision has been made, we will look into cooperation with Japan."
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