China: Japanese FM remarks 'irresponsible'
(Channel NewsAsia)
Updated: 2005-12-22 16:19

Prominent ruling party lawmaker Taku Yamasaki said Thursday he would visit China next month in hopes of holding talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, who declined to meet Koizumi at two recent regional summits.

Addressing business leaders later Thursday, Aso said Japan wanted to be the leader in Asia, where China's influence is steadily growing.

"Japan is the first country in Asia to complete a number of achievements: modernization, democratization, realizing a market economy, suppressing rising nationalism and closing the gap between rich and poor.

"As a democracy and market economy, Japan together with the United States has the power to be a stabilizing force," he said.

Koizumi's government has taken an increasingly hard line with China this year as Beijing moved to scupper Japan's hopes of getting a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Beijing argued that Japan needed to show more regret for the past before it was admitted to the council, where China is the only Asian country with permanent membership and veto power.

China saw some of its biggest rallies in years in April to protest Japan's Security Council bid and its approval of a history textbook that makes only passing reference to Japanese atrocities in the 20th century.

Aso's comments were more direct than defence guidelines Japan issued a year ago that warned of China's growing military muscle without using the word "threat."

The guidelines for defence policymakers said China was "pushing ahead with enhancing its nuclear and missile capabilities in modernizing its navy and air force" and said Japan needed to "watch these moves in the future."