Reports: 2008 Beijing’s Year of Reckoning; Dr. Singh to visit China from January 13-15; Energy and environmental issues top Japanese PM Fukudo’s visit
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    • Reports during the week noted that the year 2008 would see China asserting itself on the world stage to a greater degree than in the past1. Three major events in Beijing’s social and economic landscape in 2008 included election of a new state leadership, hosting of the 29th summer Olympics, and the completion of the 30 anniversary of economic reforms. Top state leaders are expected to be elected on March 5, 2008, when the first plenary session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) would be held. Among other major developments, 2008 would also see the launch of Shenzhou VII spacecraft, China’s third manned space mission, as well as the historic visit of President Hu Jintao to Japan2.

    Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu announced that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh would make his first official visit to China from January 13-15. Issues on top of the agenda included the border dispute, ways to strengthen economic cooperation and India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council3.

    Energy and environmental issues were on top of the agenda during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukudo to China. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, at a joint press conference with Mr. Fukuda, noted that relations with Tokyo had entered a “spring season”. Wen also suggested ‘three bases’ for a healthy Sino-Japanese relationship. Base One involved strengthening the political processes through three key political documents on bilateral ties - the Sino-Japanese joint statement, the peace and friendship treaty, and the Sino-Japanese joint declarations. Base Two involved strengthening people-to-people contact while Base Three was the need to build strong economic ties4.

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