Premier Hashimoto plans talks with Zhu in London

Premier Hashimoto plans talks with Zhu in London

TOKYO (AFP): Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto plans
to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Zhu Rongji in London
this week, officials said yesterday.

Officials were seeking to schedule talks on the sidelines of
the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) starting tomorrow, a foreign
ministry official said, adding that a date had yet to be set.

Kyodo News agency said Hashimoto and Zhu would meet tomorrow
before joining the ASEM talks.

The Japanese premier also planned to hold talks with South
Korean President Kim Dae-jung, Kyodo said. The foreign ministry
said no such meeting had been arranged.

In talks with the South Korean premier, Hashimoto was expected
to seek to strengthen cooperation in politics, economics and
security, Kyodo News quoted government officials as saying.

He was likely to raise Asia's economic woes with the Chinese
prime minister, the agency said, and the 20th anniversary this
year of the signing of a Sino-Japanese peace and friendship
treaty.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin is to visit Japan in September.

Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi told a news conference that
ASEM, drawing together 10 Asian countries and 15 European Union
members along with the European Commission, would focus on Asia's
financial turmoil.

Obuchi said he wanted to hear the European view about ways to
revive the Asian economies.

"The significance of ASEM will be tested," Obuchi was quoted
by Kyodo as saying.

The foreign minister, who joins the ASEM talks tomorrow, said
Japan "will continue to cooperate with Thailand, Indonesia and
South Korea in coordination with the International Monetary
Fund."

Japan "has taken responsibility fully" during the crisis,
Obuchi said.

A foreign ministry official said Japan had contributed a total
of $40 billion to Asia since the crisis struck last July,
including contributions to IMF rescues and trade guarantees yet
to be disbursed.