Why is China pushing for a free-trade deal and better relations with its two Northeast Asian neighbors? The answer resides in Beijing's attempt to establish close political ties with Tokyo and Seoul, writes Dr. Michael Ivanovitch.
— held a meeting last week. The heads of government for the three countries met in the thriving Chinese city of Chengdu and pledged, among other things, to accelerate their long-standing free-trade negotiations.
Japan remains at the center of all those difficulties. China continues to commemorate the martyrs of entire cities at the hands of Japanese World War II occupiers, while South Korea seethes at the enslavement of its people by the Japanese colonial rule and Tokyo's alleged refusal to pay war reparations.
It was, therefore, an unexpectedly sobering warning from Japan last week that stability in East China Sea was necessary for better ties with China — by far Tokyo's largest trade partner. Predictably, Beijing is bristling at all that and reminding Tokyo that those are China's domestic issues.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Suspected North Korean boat with bodies found in JapanA boat suspected of being from North Korea with several bodies was found on a small island in northern Japan, the Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday. The wrecked boat that had the decomposing bodies was found on Sado Island in Niigata prefecture on Friday, and the bodies were found Saturday, a coast guard
Read more »
What the Olympics will tell the world about JapanTOKYO JAPAN IS THE world’s 11th-most-populous country and has its third-largest economy. It is peaceful, stable and democratic. Yet for all that the Land of the Rising Sun has little visibility on the global scene. The Japanese do not go around tooting their own horn; when foreigners mention the island nation it is usually to rave about a great holiday or a curious pastime. That will change in 2020. All eyes will be on Japan as Tokyo prepares to host the summer Olympics.
Read more »
Japan revises Fukushima cleanup plan, delays key stepsJapan has revised a roadmap for the cleanup of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, further delaying the removal of thousands of spent fuel units that remain in cooling pools.
Read more »
Why is Japan sending naval forces to the Gulf?Japanese PM Shinzo Abe’s government decided to send a warship and patrol planes to the region to protect its commercial tankers amid high tension in the region.
Read more »
Suspected North Korean boat with bodies found in JapanA boat with several decomposing bodies was found on a small island in Japan. Authorities believe the boat may be from North Korea. Hundreds of what Japanese media call 'ghost ships' have been found in recent years.
Read more »
Suspected North Korean boat with bodies found in JapanThe Japanese coast guard says a boat with several bodies and suspected of being from North Korea has been found on a small island in northern Japan
Read more »