Nakasone Arrives in Peking to Smooth Ruffled Feathers
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone arrived in Peking on Saturday on a two-day visit aimed at soothing Chinese resentment over a series of diplomatic gaffes by Tokyo.
Nakasone, in Peking as a guest of Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Hu Yaobang, took part in a cornerstone-laying ceremony for an $85-million youth center built largely with Japanese funds.
During a 1 1/2-hour meeting, Nakasone and Hu agreed that the Soviet Union is not sincerely interested in resolving the crises in Afghanistan and Cambodia, Japanese officials said.
Nakasone plans meetings today with Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and Premier Zhao Ziyang to discuss international issues and the two nations’ chronic trade problems.
On the eve of Nakasone’s departure from Tokyo, editorials in leading Japanese newspapers urged the prime minister to improve “ruffled Japan-China relations.”
In the most recent episode, which drew strong criticism from China and South Korea, former Education Minister Masayuki Fujio made remarks two months ago minimizing Japan’s actions in neighboring Asian nations during World War II. Fujio was fired.
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