Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone visited China last week and met with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, and other Chinese leaders, including Premier Wen Jiabao and State Councilor Dai Bingguo. The meetings did not any produce major agreements, but Mr. Nakasone and Mr. Yang managed to agree in general terms to strengthen bilateral relations.

Both foreign ministers agreed that North Korea should refrain from a reported planned test-launch of a long-range ballistic missile. They agreed to work closely to dissuade North Korea from taking action that would jeopardize peace and stability in the region, and to urge the North to restrain itself.

It is welcome that Japan and China, the chair of the six-party talks on the North's nuclear programs, agreed on the importance of the participants' cooperation in the talks to ensure "complete and verifiable" denuclearization of the North.