Chronologies
Japan - China
Chronology from Oct 2004 to Dec 2004
: China releases 2004 Defense White Paper calling for 14.2 percent increase in defense spending, the 16th consecutive year of double-digit increases.
: Lee arrives in Japan.
: Third Japan-China Economic Partnership Consultation in Tokyo; Japan represented by Deputy FM Fujisaki Ichiro and China by Vice Minister of Commerce Min An.
: Lee Teng-hui applies for “sightseeing” visa.
: Chief Cabinet Secretary Hosoda announces that Japan will grant visa to Taiwan’s former President Lee Teng-Hui; China’s Vice FM Wu calls in Japanese ambassador to protest; China’s Ambassador Wang tells Vice FM Takeuchi that the decision is “incomprehensible and unacceptable.”
: Tokyo High Court dismisses suit for compensation brought by four Chinese women forced to serve as sex slaves by the Imperial Army.
: Premier Wen meets in Beijing with Senior Vice FM Aizawa Ichiro and LDP and Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers; discussion focuses on North Korea.
: Machimura tells Lower House that government would like to push forward review of China ODA policy.
: Vice FM Takeuchi telephones Ambassador Wang to protest; Minister Harada at Japanese embassy in Beijing calls on Foreign Ministry to protest; FM Machimura tells visiting Chinese State Councilor Zhang Qizheng that this kind of behavior will harm relations between the countries.
: Tokyo Gov. Ishihara Shintaro announces Tokyo government will begin fishing activities off Okinotori Island to assert Japanese sovereignty in the area.
: Japan releases new NDPG.
: FM Machimura meets visiting Chinese State Councilor Zhang Qizheng; expresses concerns over ship incident; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhang Qiyue calls for calm, says ship activities are normal.
: Asian and Oceanic Affairs Director General Yabunaka protests Chinese ship presence in EEZ to Chinese Minister Cheng Yonghua.
: Japanese patrol aircraft find Chinese research ship Kexue Yi Hao within Japan’s claimed EEZ.
: Koizumi and Wen meet in Vientiane during ASEAN Plus Three meeting.
: In advance of meeting with Wen Jiabao, Kozumi tells reporters that it may be time to graduate China from the ODA program.
: FM Machimura tells Diet that time may be approaching to end China ODA program.
: Koizumi government presents draft of new National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) to LDP security project team.
: Hu and Koizumi meet in Santiago, Chile during APEC meeting.
: Yamasaki Taku, special advisor to Koizumi, meets in Beijing with senior Chinese officials, including Vice FM Wu Dawei.
: China admits responsibility for the incursion; Vice FM Wu Dawei tells Ambassador Anami that the incident was the result of “technical errors.”
: Ambassador Wang in speech delivered in Wakayama prefecture appeals for calm on submarine incursion.
: FM Machimura calls Chinese Minister Cheng Yonghua to the Foreign Ministry to protest the incursion and demand an apology; Koizumi calls the incident “extremely regrettable.”
: Upper House of Diet releases report calling for eventual termination of China ODA program.
: Japanese patrol aircraft acquire and track Chinese submarine in Japanese territorial waters.
: Vice FM Takeuchi and Ambassador Wang meet secretly in Tokyo to work out talking points for Yasukuni issue in the event of a Japan-China summit.
: FM Machimura announces that Japan and China agree to work toward Koizumi-Hu summit during APEC meeting in Chile.
: Koizumi and Ambassador Wang meet at Prime Minister’s Official Residence; details not released.
: Japanese and Chinese defense officials meet in Tokyo; first meeting of defense vice ministers since November 2000.
: Working-level talks in Beijing; Yabunaka Mitoji, director general of the Asian and Oceanic Affairs Bureau and Kodaira Noboyuki of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy represent Japan; Cui Tiankai, director general for Asian Affairs represents China.
: Koizumi tells Upper House Budget Committee that he does not see Yasukuni visits as stumbling block in Japan’s relations with China.
: Working-level talks on exploration issues announced by Beijing.
: Some 79 Diet members visit Yasukuni.
: Ambassador Wang tells Japan’s National Press Club that from his perspective paying respects at Yasukuni is not a domestic issue or cultural issue.
: Koizumi tells Lower House Budget Committee that he sees nothing wrong in paying appropriate respects to Japan’s war dead.
: Ambassador Wang Yi in Tokyo speech asserts exploration is within waters in which Chinese claim to sovereignty is indisputable.
: METI Minister Nakagawa tells TV audience that Japan has information that China has granted exploration rights within Japan’s EEZ to Chinese companies.
: FM Li and FM Machimura meet in Hanoi during ASEM talks; agree to working-level discussions on resource exploration in East China Sea.
: Vice FM Takeuchi tells reporters that a Koizumi-Hu Jintao meeting during ASEM meeting is unlikely due to Hu’s schedule; next opportunities are APEC in Chile and ASEAN Plus Three in Laos.