Japan's new envoy arrives in Beijing, vows to improve soured ties / (Senkaku/Diaoyu issue)

Japan's new Ambassador to China Masato Kitera arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, vowing to improve bilateral relations strained by China's growing assertiveness over the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Kitera's posting comes as Japanese leader-in-waiting Shinzo Abe appears to seek to mend ties with China. Abe is set to be reelected prime minister in a parliamentary vote Wednesday, returning to power after his first stint in the top job from September 2006 to September 2007.


Prior to his departure for Beijing, Kitera told Japanese and Chinese media that his first mission is to improve Japan-China relations, which Abe described as "one of the most important bilateral ties" Japan has.
kyodonews.jp
25/12/12
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 Senkaku/Diaoyu issue