Japan, China feud begins to worry Asian ministers

Japan, China feud begins to worry Asian ministers

Agencies, Jakarta

Asian foreign ministers on Wednesday called on economic
powerhouses China and Japan to resolve a festering row they said
was sparking concern across the region.

The dispute has overshadowed a landmark meeting of Asian and
African leaders in Indonesia, with all eyes on whether Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao
will hold talks on the sidelines of the event this week.

Asian ministers, speaking during breaks in talks aimed at
strengthening Asia-Africa ties, said the dispute was being
scrutinized across a fast-growing region where many countries
count Japan and China as key trading partners.

"It won't be good for us if these two giants in Asia are going
to have bad relations," Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo
told reporters after meeting his Japanese counterpart.
"It's not in our interest at all. We hope that there will be
enough goodwill on both sides to overcome problems between them."

Thailand's Foreign Minister Kantathi Supamongkhon said he was
optimistic a resolution would be found.

"I have talked to my colleagues from China and Japan, I don't
expect any problem," he said.

Ministers said the row was not on the table at the Asia-Africa
meeting, which host Indonesia hopes will bridge a gap in
relations between the two diverse continents.

Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, in a speech at
the meeting, reminded Asia and Africa about Japan's generosity,
saying that in the past decade Tokyo's aid to poor countries made
up 20 percent of the world's total.

"Japan makes good on its promises," Machimura said.

Japanese officials have said Koizumi and Hu might hold
separate talks in Indonesia, but no meeting has been confirmed.
Sino-Japanese ties are at their worst in three decades, putting
at risk a partnership worth $178 billion in annual trade.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said that since
both China's and Japan's leaders would be in the capital "there's
always a good opportunity for them to meet".

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, who will attend
the weekend summit, has said he hopes Japan's Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao will use the
event to mend their rift.

The current dispute, sparked by a Japanese school textbook
that plays down World War II excesses, has been exacerbated by
Chinese opposition to Tokyo's bid for a permanent UN Security
Council seat.