BRUSSELS (Kyodo) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao appeared willing Tuesday about his country taking part in a summit with Japan and South Korea later this month in Vietnam, according to the South Korean presidential office.
During talks in Brussels, South Korean President Lee Myung Bak proposed to Wen holding a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN+3 summit in Hanoi and Wen responded that he views the proposal positively, the office said.
Wen and Prime Minister Naoto Kan spoke briefly Monday in Brussels, and another meeting could help allay bilateral tensions over last month's incident near the disputed Senkaku Islands.
The Senkaku issue came up during the talks Tuesday between Lee and Wen, according to the office. Wen indicated that while China and Japan differ over the territorial dispute, the two nations have agreed to maintain a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship, the office said.
Lee noted the importance of cooperation between his country, China and Japan and said he hopes the island issue will be resolved amicably, according to the office.