At Tokyo meeting, China and Japan lay groundwork for better ties

Ping pong and pandas buoyed the five-day visit, but tougher issues, such as disputes over energy exploration, went unresolved.

from the May 9, 2008 edition

Page 2 of 2

Page 1 | 2

But while he is known for his "charm offensives" overseas, Hu did not extend that to the Dalai Lama, continuing to accuse the Tibet spiritual leader of trying to sabotage the Olympics, though the Dalai Lama has repeatedly said he supports the Olympics.

Officially at least, Japan seemed to sidestep the Tibet issue, though Fukuda praised Beijing's decision to meet with representatives of the Dalai Lama. A joint press statement on human rights did not specifically cite the situation in Tibet, according to Japanese Foreign Ministry officials quoted in Japanese media.

China and Japan issued a joint statement on Wednesday on environmental cooperation. Hu also praised an ecofriendly plastic bottle recycling plant he visited in Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo on Friday.

The visit indicated significant improvement upon the friction under former leader Junichiro Koizumi, who didn't join several former Japanese leaders for breakfast with Hu Wednesday. And questions remain over whether cordial relations between government leaders is enough to deal with major new problems. During an interview with Chinese state TV on Thursday, Fukuda appealed for China to understand Japan's stance on a number of issues.

The two sides couldn't even agree on when to begin charter flights between airports near the centers of Tokyo and Beijing. Even Hu's offer to lend two pandas to replace the recently deceased Ling Ling sparked controversy. A Tokyo metropolitan government official said that the normal going rate for Japan to lease pandas was $1 million per year. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, an outspoken critic of China, asked the zoo to study whether the deal would make financial sense. Ueno Zoo officials said many angry Japanese called to demand they refuse to pay for the pandas.

• Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

1 | Page 2