China 'shocked' by Japan FM's remarks
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China was shocked by Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara's comments about its reactions following Japan's detention of a Chinese trawler last month, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman Tuesday, urging Japan to take concrete actions to repair ties.
"We feel deeply shocked that he, as a foreign minister of a country, made such remarks," Ma Zhaoxu told a regular briefing.
Ma's comments came after Maehara on Monday said China's countermeasures in September following Japan's detention of a Chinese trawler captain near the East China Sea were "hysterical."
"It is in the fundamental interests of both countries to improve and develop China-Japan relations, but Japanese diplomatic leaders' recent remarks obviously run counter to that," Ma said.
When asked to confirm whether leaders of China and Japan will meet on the sidelines of the East Asian leaders' series of meetings in Hanoi later this month, Ma called on Japan to take practical steps and show its sincerity to improve ties so as to pave way for a successful leaders' meeting.
Ma also welcomed the visit by around 1,000 Japanese young people to China, stressing the 2,000-year exchanges of friendly visits between the two countries.
"China will work with Japan to enhance the exchange of visits between the two peoples, particularly between young people, so as to deepen mutual understanding and lay a solid social foundation for bilateral relations," Ma said.
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