SANTIAGO (AFP) - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has arrived at a major Asia-Pacific summit with two missions: mending strained ties with China and pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Koizumi flew into the Chilean capital of Santiago early Saturday for a weekend summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, where the focus has turned on terrorism and "axis of evil" member North Korea.
For the Japanese leader, a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao Sunday presents an opportunity to smooth relations, hurt by a Chinese nuclear submarine's intrusion into Japanese waters and an antagonistic wartime history.
Speaking to reporters before his departure, Koizumi indicated he would tread lightly over the submarine intrusion when he sees Hu in what will be the first Sino-Japanese summit since last year's APEC meetings in Bangkok.
"I have to handle this appropriately so that this will not hamper the development of Japan-China relations," he said.
Japanese officials this week said China had apologized for the intrusion of the nuclear submarine, which Beijing said was caused by a technical error.
Ties between the Asian powers have been soured by Koizumi's visits to a Tokyo war shrine. The visits have prevented state visits by either leader to the other's country for the past three years.
China, occupied by Japan before and during World War II, has voiced outrage over Koizumi's regular pilgrimages to the shrine, which honors the Japanese war dead including convicted war criminals.
For Tokyo, the betterment of Japan-Sino ties is crucial as it is pressing North Korea to give up its nuclear ambition. Beijing has traditionally maintained friendly relations with Pyongyang.
"North Korea's nuclear and missile problem is a serious challenge, not only to the peace and stability of the northeast Asia region but also to the international nuclear non-proliferation system," Koizumi told the daily El Mercurio before leaving Tokyo for Santiago.
"We must convince North Korea ... that it will be in their interest to agree to carry out this dialogue unconditionally and abandon their nuclear plans completely," he said.
Three rounds of multilateral talks have taken place since the standoff erupted in October 2002, bringing together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States in Beijing. All but North Korea are members of APEC.
Koizumi's planned talks with President Vladimir Putin on Saturday are also in the spotlight after the Russian leader hinted at his intention to return two of the four disputed Kuril islands in a move to formally end World War II.
Putin said Monday he was ready to revive peace talks with Japan on the islands by solving the dispute, but Koizumi said Japan could agree with a partial return of the islands, seized by Soviet troops in 1945.
Koizumi holds his first meeting with US President Geroge W. Bush since his reelection earlier this month, and is also scheduled to hold talks with Indonesia's new president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
11/20/2004 - 04:54 GMT - AFP