China, Japan to Hold Ministerial Level Talks on Dispute

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 10, 2001

China, Japan to Hold Ministerial Level Talks on Dispute

In an attempt to resolve a lingering trade dispute, Chinese Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Minister Shi Guangsheng will meet with Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tsutomu Takebe.

Chinese and Japanese ministers will meet on Tuesday in Beijing in an attempt to resolve a lingering trade dispute.

Chinese Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Minister Shi Guangsheng will meet with Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tsutomu Takebe, a Japanese agriculture ministry official said.

Japanese and Chinese government officials met on Friday and Saturday for working-level talks to iron out details of the talks, he said, without elaborating on any progress made.

"We are hoping Tuesday's talks will bring the issue at least closer to resolution, if not to a final agreement," the official said.

Japan must decide by December 21 whether to impose four-year "safeguard" measures against three farm imports -- spring onions, shiitake mushrooms and rushes used to make traditional Japanese tatami mats -- mostly imported from China.

In April, Japan slapped 200-day import restrictions on the three agricultural products, saying the cheap imports were hurting Japanese farmers.

China struck back in June by imposing 100 percent punitive tariffs on imports of Japanese motor vehicles, air conditioners and mobile phones.

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