Chinese Premier Li Peng expressed displeasure Wednesday with Japan's vagueness over how Taiwan will be treated under the newly revised Japan-U.S. defense cooperation scheme.
"We hope that the Japanese government makes the matter clear," Li told Takako Doi, leader of the Social Democratic Party, during their meeting. Li also met with Naoto Kan, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, and Ichiro Ozawa, leader of Shinshinto.
Li said China would not be concerned about the revised security arrangement, announced in late September, if it were clearly stated that the guideline would stay within the framework of Japan's Constitution and not cover the Taiwan Strait. Doi's SDP, one of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's two Diet allies, takes a considerably different stance on security-related matters compared with the LDP. The SDP, which has had historically close ties with the Chinese Communist Party, has demanded the government clarify that the Taiwan Strait will not be included in the scope of Japan-U.S. security cooperation.
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