Sino-Japan Sober Meeting

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting with Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongol, taking opportunity of Asia-Europe Leaders Meeting. While Abe requested peaceful solution on territorial issue in South China Sea, which Permanent Court of Arbitration in Hague denied Chinese sovereignty on Spratly Islands, Li rejected Japanese “intervention” on it. China is still running on the road of isolation.

According to briefing of Japanese government, Abe told Li that Japan had been stressing the importance to settle the conflict peacefully under rule of law. Li replied to Abe not to fan or intervene in the issue. “The standpoint of China is completely meeting international law. Not being a party directly concerned, Japan should refrain from intervening to it,” said Li, according to Chinese officials.

The meeting of both leaders was taken place for the first time since last November. In the 30-minute meeting, Abe also expressed his concern on the entrance of Chinese military vessels in contiguous zone of Senkaku Islands in East China Sea. Li answered Abe that both governments needed to enhance communication through dialogue and meeting to avoid wrong decision and required sharing “high-level responsibility” for improvement of their bilateral relation.

China has been accusing Japan having manipulated the decision of Hague Court and called the Minister in Japanese Embassy in Beijing to protest. By attributing the decision to Japan, Chinese government is justifying its unilateral and excessive development in South China Sea mainly to its own people. “Japan responded to the decision of Hague Court more emotionally than other neighbor countries,” said Chinese Spokesman Lu Kang.

However, it is China that has been highly nervous on the decision even before the sentence was delivered. For Chinese government, Group of 20 meeting in Hangzhou, China, which President Xi Jinping will preside, will be a nightmare, if it is covered with disputes over South China Sea. So, Abe and Li also reconfirmed mutual cooperation for G20 meeting, mainly in handling international economy that became volatile after United Kingdom’s decision of leaving European Union.

They also agreed on enhanced cooperation over anti-terrorism measures. “Standing on the basis of strategic reciprocal relationship, I will focus on cooperation and exchange,” said Abe. Li replied with his determination not to invite monetary crisis under cooperation between China and Japan. Not with compromise over the maritime interest, China seeks economic profit with stabilized international monetary system.