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Koizumi says Japan must facilitate China-Taiwan ties

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday that his country has an "important role" in creating an environment for Taiwan and China to settle their differences in a peaceful manner.

Koizumi told a Council on Foreign Relations audience that Japan is in a special situation regarding its relations with China and Taiwan because of the history of WWII.

Thirty years ago, Japan normalized ties with Beijing and severed its diplomatic ties with Taipei, but it has since continued to maintain a strong economic relationship with Taiwan.

Japan has to "pay consideration to" both sides and try to preserve diplomatic relations with China, he said, admitting that this is "a tricky job" with which the Japanese government has to contend.

Koizumi said China is moving toward a market economy and is working on various reforms. "We very much hope that through this process, China will come to play a constructive role as a responsible member of the international community," he said.

"I do hope that China will strike a common stance with the free world," he added.

"Within that context, I very much hope that China and Taiwan will find ways to resolve whatever issues they may have between them in a peaceful manner through dialogue without ever resorting to force," he said.

"An important role for Japan in this regard is to create an environment for that," he said in reply to a question by George Schwab, president of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy.

Earlier, in an address on "The Japan-US Alliance in the 21st Century," Koizumi also expressed the need for the rest of the world to "encourage and support China's efforts" in developing its economy and reforming its system of governance "so that it becomes a constructive member of the international community."
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