In a phone call on Friday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to favorably assess the inclusion of North Korea's "complete denuclearization" in the Panmunjom Declaration, which was signed at the inter-Korea summit last month.
The two leaders confirmed they will closely cooperate to maintain pressure on North Korea, through the implementation of sanctions resolutions adopted by the U.N. Security Council, among other means. Xi also agreed to work with Japan to swiftly resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea.
Abe and Xi also agreed to raise Japan-China relations to a higher level, indicating that ties between the two countries have improved.
The prime minister held the phone call at the prime minister's official residence after returning from the village of Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, where he stayed at a villa during the Golden Week holiday.
"It was the first time a Japanese prime minister and a Chinese president held discussions by phone. The improvement in Japan-China relations is really progressing," Abe told reporters, emphasizing the significance of the phone call.
Japan proposed the call at some point prior to the April 27 inter-Korea summit meeting.
Xi held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on March 26 and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who also serves as China's state councilor, met with Kim on Thursday. With this in mind, Abe sought information on the China-North Korea contacts and on Xi's intentions toward Pyongyang.
China is said to support North Korea's insistence that pressure be gradually eased as it makes progress on denuclearization, in contrast to Japan's stance that pressure be maintained.
Abe is therefore seeking to hold repeated future talks with Xi to win his understanding of Japan's position on North Korea.
Leadership talks between Japan and China have long been held only on the sidelines of international conferences for such reasons as issues around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
However, "With the latest phone talks, dialogue between the two leaders will become more substantive," a senior Foreign Ministry official predicted.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the second-ranking figure in China's government, will visit Japan for the first time from Tuesday to Friday. Top-level Japan-China-South Korea talks and Japan-China talks will be held in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Abe aims to realize reciprocal visits with Xi from this year through next year and ensure steady improvement in the Japan-China relationship.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
