Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda pose for a photo during playing baseball at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, on Dec. 29, 2007. Yasuo Fukuda arrived here for an official visit to China from Dec. 27 to 30.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

   

    BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao played baseball with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda Saturday morning, following Friday's "heart-to-heart" talks in which they foresaw a coming spring of the China-Japan ties.

    Wen and Fukuda had breakfast together ahead of the baseball play at the Diaoyutai State Guest House.

    Wearing a red baseball cap and grey sport wear, Wen played a game of throw and catch with Fukuda, a former university athlete, who wore white outfits.

    The play was not on Fukuda's tight visit schedule, but an extempore arrangement after Friday's talks between Wen and the Japanese Prime Minister, according to sources with the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao plays baseball with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (not in the picture) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, on Dec. 29, 2007.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Fukuda recalled during the talks that he proposed to play baseball with the Chinese premier after Wen's visit to Japan in April, but had not received reply.

    Wen made an immediate response that he would find an opportunity to throw and catch baseballs with Fukuda.

    Wen played baseball with Japanese college students during his "ice-thawing" trip to Japan, when he especially wore a No. 35 sport suit to mark the 35th anniversary of the normalization of the China-Japan relations.

    Fukuda will visit a primary school in northeastern Beijing after the play before leaving for an economic development zone in Tianjin, home to many Japanese-funded companies.

    He will also visit the hometown of Confucius in Qufu, Shandong Province, before wrapping up his four-day China tour on Sunday.

Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda plays baseball with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (not in the picture) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, on Dec. 29, 2007.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The China tour was the third overseas trip of Fukuda after he took office three months ago. He visited the United States and Singapore before.

    A book on Wen's April visit to Japan, titled "Baseball Player No.35: Wen Jiabao", was published recently in Japan.

Chinese leaders hold "heart-to-heart" talks with Japanese prime minister

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (L) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, on Dec. 28, 2007. Yasuo Fukuda arrived here on Dec. 27 for a four-day official visit to China. (Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held "heart-to-heart" talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday, and both stressed joint efforts to promote bilateral relations, saying "a spring has come" for China-Japan ties.

    Later in the afternoon, Chinese President Hu Jintao and top legislator Wu Bangguo met with Fukuda, respectively, after he spoke at the elite Peking University.   Full story

Chinese President meets Japanese PM, calling for further progress in bilateral ties

    BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao met here on Friday with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, calling for more efforts to build bilateral strategic and mutually beneficial ties.

    "The development of long-term, stable and good neighborly relations between China and Japan are the common anticipations of the two peoples, as well as the duty of the two nations' political leaders," Hu said. Full story

Premier Wen holds talks with Fukuda

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) shakes hands with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda during a welcoming ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Dec. 28, 2007. Yasuo Fukuda arrived here Thursday for a four-day official visit to China. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

  BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday morning, and both stressed joint efforts to promote bilateral relations.

    Wen said China-Japan relations have entered "an important period of improvement and development", adding that he would like to work with Fukuda to jointly seize opportunities so as to "promote a new and greater development of strategic and mutually beneficial China-Japan relations". Full story

Japanese PM urges proper treatment of history

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda delivers a speech at the prestigious Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, on Dec. 28, 2007. Yasuo Fukuda arrived here for an official visit to China from Dec. 27 to 30. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

    BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday said Japan would "very earnestly" reflect on the "agonizing part of history" and continue to follow the path of peaceful development so as to establish "forward-looking China-Japan relations".

    Fukuda made the statement when meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. China and Japan have a long-standing disagreement over wartime history. Full story