US Secretary of State John Kerry has met China’s President Xi Jinping amid raging regional tensions.
Kerry visited Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday and the two sides discussed a range of issues, including bilateral ties and North Korea.
Kerry also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and at his talks with him told reporters that his meeting with Xi was “a very constructive one, very positive.”
Wang also announced Beijing’s readiness to work with Washington “so that we can truly reflect the principle of non-confrontation, non-conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation in all aspects of our relationship.”
The meeting comes at a critical moment for the region, with rows between China and Japan over their World War II history and disputed islands in the East China Sea.
The uninhabited islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are located near a crucial shipping lane and give the owner exclusive oil, mineral and fishing rights in the surrounding waters.
Beijing also holds Tokyo accountable for claiming millions of Chinese lives during its invasion of the country in the 1930s.
Furthermore, Beijing has declared an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) above the East China Sea, covering the disputed islands; a move that has outraged South Korea, the Philippines and Japan.
China declared the zone in November 2013. Beijing required all aircraft to provide their flight plan, declare their nationality and maintain two-way radio communication before entering the airspace, or face “defensive emergency measures.”
Recent Japanese media reports said that the Chinese government is considering declaring another ADIZ over the South China Sea.
MR/NN/HMV
Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/02/14/350645/kerry-meets-china-president-amid-woes/
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