VZCZCXRO1190
OO RUEHCN
DE RUEHBJ #2981/01 0481423
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171423Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8057
INFO RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0357
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002981 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/J, EAP/K AND EAP/CM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2016 
TAGS: PREL CH KN JA
SUBJECT: MFA ON DAI - YACHI MEETINGS IN JAPAN 
 
REF: A. TOKYO 00775 
     ¶B. BEIJING 02461 
 
Classified By: Political External Chief Edgard Kagan. 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) China will not change its policy of friendship 
towards Japan nor its opposition to visits by Japan's 
leaders to Yasukuni Shrine, EVFM Dai Bingguo told VFM 
Shotaro Yachi during the fourth session of their 
Comprehensive Policy Dialogue.  According to the MFA 
Japan Division Director, Yachi called the Sino-China 
relationship one of the most important in the world, 
while defending Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to the 
Yasukuni Shrine.  Japan wants to quickly begin joint 
historical research, to which China agrees in 
principle but also wants the interest of South Korea 
and the United States to participate taken into 
account.  The Japanese Embassy Political Counselor 
said serious discussions occurred late in the evening 
on February 11 at a hot springs resort in Niigata, 
after a visit to a bathhouse and a karaoke session, 
when Dai pressed Yachi on whether Japan wants China as 
a friend and partner or strategic rival.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) On February 17 newly-appointed MFA Asian 
Affairs Department Japan Division Director Hong 
Xiaoyong briefed poloffs on EVFM Dai Bingguo's 
February 10 - 11 meetings with VFM Shotaro Yachi for 
the fourth round of the Comprehensive Policy Dialogue, 
which took place in Tokyo and central Japan's Niigata 
Prefecture.  Dai also met with more than ten other 
Japanese officials during his February 9 - 13 trip, 
including Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, FM Aso, Finance 
Minister Tanigaki, Minister of Economy, Trade and 
Industry Nikai, Director of the Japan Defense Agency 
Nukaga and Chairman of the Lower House Kono. 
Commenting that the MFA normally does not brief 
Embassies on the Dai-Yachi Dialogue, Hong said he was 
specifically instructed by Dai to brief the U.S. 
Embassy in keeping with the spirit of his dialogue 
with the Deputy Secretary.  Hong then proceeded to 
read from notes limited to Yasukuni Shrine, Taiwan and 
joint historical research. 
 
Yasukuni Shrine 
--------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Calling the talks "candid and straightforward," 
Hong said Dai made clear to Yachi that while China's 
policy of friendship towards Japan would not change, 
China would also not change its stance of opposing 
visits by Japan's leader to the Yasukuni Shrine. 
China has made many efforts to improve bilateral 
relations, but Japan's leaders need to stop visiting 
Yasukuni Shrine to break the impasse and prevent 
further harm to relations.  Dai complained that the 
history museum at Yasukuni Shrine whitewashes Japan's 
aggression, something that neither China nor the 
international community can accept.  Hong said that 
other Japanese politicians told Dai that they oppose 
PM Koizumi's visit to the shrine, but that PM Koizumi 
acts without regard to the views of others on this 
issue. 
 
¶4. (C) According to Hong, Yachi responded that the 
Sino-Japan relationship is one of the most important 
bilateral relationships in the world.  Yachi also 
defended PM Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine by 
calling it a private matter and hoping that the 
current political problems would not affect the 
bilateral relationship in other areas, like economics. 
Yachi responded to Dai's comments about the museum by 
saying "he had not been to the museum and did not know 
the current situation," according to Hong. 
 
Taiwan 
------ 
 
¶5. (C) On Taiwan, Hong said Dai repeated China's 
consistent stance that Japan should continue to adhere 
to the joint Japan-China documents on Taiwan and 
oppose Taiwanese independence.  Dai also said China 
opposes Japan allowing Lee Deng-hui to visit Japan. 
Hong said Dai raised Beijing's concerns about the 
February 2005 Two Plus Two statement, though he 
 
BEIJING 00002981  002 OF 002 
 
 
commented that this was not a major point in the 
discussion. 
 
Joint Historical Research Project 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Yachi told Dai that Japan wants to quickly 
begin joint historical research by experts and 
academics with China.  Dai said China agreed in 
principle, while noting that both the ROK and the 
United States have expressed an interest in 
participating in such discussions.  Hong said there 
were no detailed discussions on timing or content. 
 
Japanese Embassy Comments 
------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Japanese Embassy Political Counselor Kazuhiro 
Suzuki told poloff separately on February 17 that Dai 
and Yachi met at a hot springs resort in Niigata on 
February 11.  Following visits to the baths, dinner 
and karaoke sessions, Dai and Yachi got down to some 
"serious" discussions that lasted late into the night. 
Dai asked if Japan wants China as a friend and partner 
or strategic rival.  Saying Yachi responded with the 
former, Suzuki suggested that Dai needed to bring home 
an answer ahead of internal Chinese government 
discussions on Japan prior to the March meeting of the 
National People's Congress.  While encouraging Japan 
to take positive action to break the salemate in 
relations, Dai said a visit by a Jpanese PM under 
"any modality" is unacceptable. 
 
¶8.  (C) Suzuki said that in addition to agreeing to 
resume talks on the East China Sea in early March, the 
two sides agreed to resume Director General-level 
meetings on the UN and Africa and to make efforts to 
expand cultural and educational exchanges.  Suzuki 
reported that China is satisfied with the results of 
Dai's discussions in Japan and that meetings this week 
indicate that Beijing researchers and academics are 
already able to be a little more positive when 
discussing Japan. 
Randt