Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura admitted Friday that Sino-Japanese ties are beset by 'various concerns,' though he welcomed the burgeoning bilateral economic and cultural relationship.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Japan and China are currently embroiled in an energy dispute centering on natural gas exploration in the East China Sea, and Beijing is also upset over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which it regards as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Speaking before the Diet, Machimura said China would afford Japan valuable opportunities in the future, adding that he would continue to facilitate trade, investment and cultural exchanges between Tokyo and Beijing.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>'At the same time, we will properly deal with various concerns that lie between Japan and China, such as the issue of natural resources development in the East China Sea and –

research activities by Chinese ships," he said.

Machimura stressed the importance of securing Japan's natural resources, vowing to maintain exploration of continental shelves and marine resources around Japan.

He added that he would seek to resolve outstanding issues with China through dialogue, despite their differences of opinion on individual matters.

In respect of North Korea, Machimura said the government would take severe action if the country did not respond promptly to Tokyo's recent protest over Pyongyang's "insincere attitude" regarding missing Japanese believed abducted to the North.

North Korea gave members of a Japanese delegation that visited Pyongyang in November what it claimed were the cremated remains of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted to the North in 1977 when she was 13. DNA tests proved that the remains were not, in fact, those of Yokota.

Japan will seek an early resumption of six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear threat, Machimura said.