Divisions undermine east Asia summit
Divisions undermine east Asia summit
The persistent deep divisions between Japan and China and also South Korea - rifts involving Asia’s largest economies - are undermining broader regional co-operation ahead of a pioneering summit of Asia-Pacific leaders this month.
Cui Tiankai, the head of the Chinese foreign ministry’s Asian affairs department, said in Beijing on Wednesday that it was “impossible” for Wen Jiabao, the premier, to meet with prime minister Junichiro Koizumi at the summit in Malaysia in mid-December.
Mr Cui said the Japanese prime minister’s decision to continue visiting Tokyo’s Yasukuni shrine - which houses the spirits of Japan’s war dead, including war criminals - made a meeting with Mr Wen out of the question.
“Even under such circumstances, Japan wants everything to proceed normally, but that’s impossible,” he said.
More: news.ft.com
