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Secretary-General's press encounter on China-Japan relations


Press events | Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General


Q: We're going right into this China-Japan [inaudible].

SG: Yes, and I think both of them will be at the meeting.

Q: You've got any words for them?

SG: I'll have lots of bilaterals with all of them, lots of leaders, and I hope, as I have indicated, they will continue their dialogue and try and resolve their differences peacefully. They have lots of relationships, on all fronts –political, economic and social –and I hope those important aspects of their relationship will encourage them to resolve their differences.

Q: There's been some talk that there might be a meeting at the conference in Indonesia. Do you think this might be a positive thing to try and calm things down?

SG: Each time there's a meeting of that kind, it always helps. I know that the Japanese Foreign Minister, I believe, is in China for meetings. If they meet at the summit in Indonesia, it would also be helpful, and I would encourage them to do that.