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.