Hatoyama, S. Korea envoy agree to collaborate on North issues+

TOKYO, Sept. 4 Kyodo -
Japan's prime minister in waiting, Yukio Hatoyama, agreed Friday with South
Korean Ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul Hyun that the two countries will continue
to collaborate in dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue and deepen their
bilateral ties.
Hatoyama, whose new administration is set to be launched in mid-September, also
met with Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai earlier in the day and was
asked by the envoy to help advance bilateral relations.
Kwon said he and Hatoyama talked about North Korean-related problems and agreed
the two countries ''will work hand in hand as in the past.'' Kwon made the
remarks to reporters after the talks at the DPJ's headquarters in Tokyo.
In talks with Cui, ''I told him that we will make our current strategic
partnership with China a more substantial one,'' Hatoyama told reporters on
Friday evening.
On relations between Japan, China and the United States, he said, ''It is
important to build a win-win situation for all three.''
''If China-U.S. relations develop it should be a plus for Japan, and if
Japan-China relations develop it should be a plus for the United States. That's
the relationship I told him that we should create,'' he said.
He apparently made the comments after concerns emerged in Washington that
Japan's foreign policy may change as the DPJ favors a more Asia-centered policy
and a more independent stance from the United States.
The two ambassadors paid their calls on Hatoyama to congratulate him on
Sunday's sweeping election victory by the DPJ.
In the talks, ''I expressed our congratulations to him and his winning the
election,'' Cui told reporters, while Kwon told Hatoyama, ''You have achieved a
resounding victory because of your excellent leadership and the people's trust
in you, and we offer you our congratulations.''
Neither envoy seemingly broached any potentially controversial issues with Japan.
Asked if he discussed with Hatoyama any issues on which Japan and China remain
split, the Chinese envoy stressed, ''We have expectations of advancing
bilateral relations. We talked about the future development of our relations.''
Kwon also told Hatoyama that relations between Japan and South Korea would
become stronger based on the spirit of ''fraternity'' that Hatoyama has
advocated.
==Kyodo