China hopes Shinzo Abe will 'improve Sino-Japanese relations'

Beijing - China reacted cautiously Tuesday to the election of Shinzo Abe as Japan's new prime minister, saying it hoped Abe would use his position to 'improve relations' between China and Japan. 'We hope Japan's new leader can endeavour to improve and develop Sino-Japanese relations,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular press briefing in Beijing. Qin Gang repeated China's opposition to visits made by Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi to the Yasukuni Shrine in Toyko dedicated to millions of war dead, including Class-A war criminals. Both China and South Korea, which were at the receiving end of Japan's wartime atrocities, fear that the Japanese government may return to its militaristic ways under Abe, known for his nationalist slant. Differences over the shrine visits posed the biggest obstacle in relations between China and Japan, Qin Yang said. China hoped that Abe would 'match words with deeds over the issue of placing importance on Asian diplomacy,' the spokesman said. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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China hopes Shinzo Abe will 'improve Sino-Japanese relations'

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