Abe Arranging for Talks with Xi in Sept., to Skip Yasukuni

August 5, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is arranging to hold a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an Eastern Economic Forum conference in Vladivostok, Russia, in September, it was learned Sunday.

The summit meeting is aimed at accelerating the improvement of Japan-China relations, government officials said.

Abe also plans to stop short of paying respects at Yasukuni Shrine on the Aug. 15 anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, the officials said. The Shinto shrine in Tokyo, which honors Japanese Class-A war criminals along with the war dead, is regarded in China as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

A government official said it is natural for the prime minister to pay due consideration to China in order to improve bilateral relations. Abe last visited Yasukuni in December 2013.

The forum in Vladivostok, slated for Sept. 11-13, may also be attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, raising the possibility of a meeting between Abe and Kim.

Abe aims to hold talks with Xi in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation for the denuclearization of North Korea and the resolution of the North's past abductions of Japanese nationals, according to the officials.

The prime minister also hopes to travel to China as early as October to pave the way for a visit to Japan by Xi next year, on the premise that he wins a third term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in an election set for September.

The forum in Vladivostok will likely be held during the campaign period of the LDP leadership election. By attending the forum and meeting with Xi, Abe would highlight his eagerness to keep the reins of government. Jiji Press