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                     Japan's Abe Offers to Meet China's Xi

   by VOA News

   Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is renewing his call to hold a
   meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that has been delayed because
   of strained bilateral relations.

   Speaking to reporters Thursday in New York, Prime Minister Abe said it
   would be beneficial if he and Xi could meet in November at a regional
   summit in Beijing. He said "quiet efforts" on both sides could help
   make this possible.

   Since taking power in December 2012, Abe has not met with Xi, despite
   multiple requests by the Japanese leader.

   Japan-China ties have suffered because of a territorial dispute, as
   well as Abe's honoring of World War II-era Japanese war criminals.

   Last year, Abe visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine, which honors
   Japanese war dead, including several convicted war criminals.

   China was one of the main victims of Japanese imperialism. It treats
   such visits as an insult and a rejection of Japan's past misdeeds.

   Airplanes and ships from the two countries have also faced off in the
   East China Sea, where both nations claim a series of uninhabited
   islands.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-abe-again-offers-to-meet-china-
   xi/2463103.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-abe-again-offers-to-meet-china-xi/2463103.html