Koizumi starts '06 defiant toward Beijing, Seoul
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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi criticized China and South Korea during his New Year's news conference Jan. 4, claiming it is Beijing and Seoul, not Tokyo, that should work to resolve their long-standing gripes over his repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
During the nationally televised news conference, Koizumi also predicted 2006 will be a year when "a majority of people" will feel Japan is on track for a long-awaited economic revival.
Speaking about his visits to the Tokyo shrine that honors Japan's 2.47 million war dead, as well as Class-A war criminals, Koizumi said, "China and South Korea should not close the door to (summit) talks or negotiations only because of this single issue."
On the economic front, he advocated a relatively austere fiscal budget and keeping pressure on financial institutions to dispose of bad loans quickly.
Speaking about who may succeed him when his Liberal Democratic Party presidency ends in September, Koizumi said it is too early to say. (The Japan Times)
首相、年頭会見で中韓姿勢批判
小泉純一郎首相は4日、首相官邸で行なった年頭記者会見で、靖国神社参拝に不満を持つ中国・韓国を批判した。
Shukan ST: Jan. 13, 2006
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