China postpones Japanese FM's trip
By Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-19 06:01

Kong said China is strongly opposed to Japanese leaders paying tributes to the shrine "at anytime, in any form."

Protestors holding a banner march to the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong October 17,2005 to protest against Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. The banner in Chinese reads, 'Shame on Japanese militarism'. [Reuters]

The spokesman said Koizumi must shoulder all the responsibility for the serious damage done to the bilateral ties.

But media reports from Tokyo said that Japan would continue to prepare for Machimura's trip to China.

A sign denouncing Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is seen during an anti-Japan protest near the Japanese embassy in Seoul October 17, 2005. [Reuters]

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, the top Japanese Government spokesman, was quoted as saying the visit was "still in the process of being coordinated."

Machimura's visit was intended to be a fence-mending trip and it is reported that he had hoped to pave the way for a meeting between Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Top-level exchanges between the two countries have been stalled since Koizumi began paying annual visits to the shrine in 2001.

Kong also revealed that China has sent its envoy to Pyongyang for a three-day visit aimed at preparing for the next round of nuclear disarmament talks.

Li Bin, Chinese ambassador in charge of Korean Peninsula affairs, will also visit the United States and the Republic of Korea, two other participants in the talks, later in the month.

The main agenda of Li's visit is to hold talks with officials responsible for the Six-Party Talks to work out joint approaches and prepare for the fifth round in early November.

(China Daily 10/19/2005 page1)