Ministerial meeting proposed
8 May 2006
Japan has requested that exchanges between foreign ministers be resumed after relations with China deteriorated following visits to the Yasukuni shrine by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the South China Morning Post reported. Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi made the suggestion to Chinese opposite number Dai Bingguo in Beijing. State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan recently met Tsutomu Takebe, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in Beijing and said China is open to dialogue. "I believe dialogue between foreign ministers is important," said Yachi, who suggested Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso meet counterpart Li Zhaoxing at the Asia Co-operation Dialogue in Qatar later this month.