Japan's Kishida calls for constructive relations in talks with China's Li

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday that he hoped their two countries could strive towards building a “constructive and stable” relationship, said Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

Mr Li also referred to the importance of Japan-China relations during a brief exchange of views between the two, held on the sidelines of a meeting of Asean plus China, Japan and South Korea in Cambodia, the ministry said in a statement.

Separately, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday proposed a mechanism for three-way dialogue with China and Japan, including a leadership summit to address issues such as security and climate change.

In a speech at the Asean Plus Three meeting, Mr Kishida reiterated Japan’s view that North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches, including one that flew over Japan, were a clear and serious threat to the international community, and unacceptable.

He also called for cooperation among the countries in achieving a complete dismantling of North Korea’s ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

Mr Yoon urged stronger joint efforts to overcome complex future crises, such as those stemming from war and rights abuses, as well as risks to security of food and energy brought by climate change.

Mr Yoon also said North Korea’s series of provocations and attempts to boost its nuclear and missile capabilities were a serious threat to the international community. He stressed that if North Korea launched another intercontinental ballistic missile and conducted its seventh nuclear test, the global community should respond with one voice, the presidential office said in a statement.

At the same time, South Korea would seek economic support for North Korea if it decided to denuclearise.

Mr Yoon was expected to meet Mr Kishida on Sunday in Phnom Penh on the sidelines of the Asean Summit, Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korea’s presidential office. He was also due to hold a meeting with US President Joe Biden as well as a trilateral summit with Mr Biden and Mr Kishida on Sunday. 

Mr Kishida, meanwhile, is on the first leg of a week-long tour that takes him to Indonesia for a Group of 20 summit and Thailand for a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders.

Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said Mr Kishida was making final arrangements to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Apec meeting in Bangkok. REUTERS