BEIJING, March 13 -- Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing praised China's ambassador to Tokyo on Saturday, describing him as an "excellent and experienced" diplomat.

Wang Yi speaks to reporters in Beijing in this August 29, 2003 photo. Wang was then a vice foreign minister. [newsphoto]

    China's ambassador to Japan Wang Yi ignored Japanese Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Shotaro Yachi's repeated calls on Wednesday, saying he was busy, it has been reported.

    "Wang Yi is a senior diplomat, he is loyal to his country and devoted to the cause of Sino-Japanese friendship development," Li said, singing highly of Wang's ability to deal with unexpected matters.

    Surrounded by reporters from home and abroad, Li made the comments on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.

    Japan wanted to lodge a protest after Li, in his annual press conference on Tuesday, commented on Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which hosts many World War II war criminals.

    Yachi eventually talked to Wang over the phone late on Wednesday afternoon, and the two officials had heated exchanges.

    However, Wang did visit the Foreign Ministry on Thursday to lodge a protest over Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso' comment on the same day, referring to Taiwan as a "law-governed country."

    The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday on its website, claiming Aso's comment as "brutal interference in China's internal affairs and territorial sovereignty." It said the Chinese side was "shocked and infuriated," and had expressed a strong protest to diplomats from the Japanese embassy in Beijing.

    (Source: China Daily)