FM: Japan military 'gossiping' hides issue
By Cao Desheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-09 06:05

China on Sunday delayed the annual summit meeting with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), usually held on the sidelines of a conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, scheduled for December 12-14 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"We hope the Japanese Government could take actions to remove the political barriers that thwart the diplomatic relations with its Asian neighbours including China and ROK," Qin said.

Speaking of China's role in the second phase of the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, which is being discussed at the 11th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal to be concluded today, Qin said China is ready to play a positive role in this regard within a multilateral framework.

"China chooses to develop its economy in a sustainable way, paying great attention to the harmony between man and nature and environment," Qin said.

The UN summit on climate change going on in Montreal was billed as the next step in advancing the controversial Kyoto Protocol to limit production of greenhouse gases.

Military spending transparent

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang said here Thursday that China's military spending is open and transparent when asked to comment a speech by Japanese Foreign Minister Aso Taro urging China to increase military transparency.

Qin said at a routine news conference that China adheres to peaceful development and a defensive national defence policy, adding its military expenditure should not only cover the livelihood and training expenses of those serving in the army but also meet the country's current national defence requirements in a world with numerous complicated changes.

China has already written clearly about its military expenditure in a white book on Chinese national defence, openly giving details on its military growth, said Qin.

"The Japanese side should not make a fuss over the military spending of China over and again but explain, as soon as possible,to its neighbors as well as the international community about its own military moves," said the spokesman. "Some of its recent moves have caused concern to both the neighboring countries and around the globe."

The most important thing, as Qin acknowledged, on the Japanese side, should be making substantive efforts by taking actions to overcome the political hurdles impeding the growth of friendly and cooperative relations between Japan and its Asian neighbors, including its relationship with China and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Qin denied the possibility of discussing defence issues at the upcoming ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) plus China, Japan and the ROK Summit and the East Asian Summit by saying that the main focus of the summits would be on the economic and social issues of the region.

He added that there was no arrangement for a meeting to bring together the foreign ministers of China, Japan and the ROK in the near future for reasons known to all.