Japanese diplomat in letter mission

Bid to cool tension as Tokyo stresses importance of strategic relationship

A Japanese diplomat arrived in Beijing on Tuesday carrying a letter from his prime minister to President Hu Jintao, in what analysts described as an attempt to cool tensions fanned by territorial issues.

The diplomat's arrival came a day after a Japanese flag was pulled from a car in Beijing carrying the country’s ambassador to China.

Ambassador Uichiro Niwa was not hurt, and the Foreign Ministry said an investigation had been launched.

Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, Japan’s parliamentary senior vice-minister of foreign affairs, carried the letter, Japanese television said.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said at a news conference on Tuesday that Noda stressed, in the letter, the importance of maintaining the strategic and beneficial relationship, and he called for "calm handling" of the Diaoyu Islands dispute.

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun’s website said Yamaguchi was to meet senior Chinese officials, including Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying.

But the Foreign Ministry has not confirmed that the letter has been handed over.

Ties between the two countries experienced new turbulence this month when Japanese rightists landed on the islands that belong to China and were also strained by the visit of Japanese cabinet members to the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Japanese war criminals.

"Tokyo has been dogged by a series of spats with its neighbors over territorial issues", and diplomatic deadlock with China may see Tokyo rethink its behavior, said Liu Jiangyong, a specialist on Japanese studies at Tsinghua University.

Noda also sent a letter last week to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to protest against Lee’s visit, earlier this month, to islands which Seoul calls Dokdo and Tokyo calls Takeshima.

Seoul returned the letter, unopened.

In early July, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Kunashiri Island, one of the Russian-held islands also claimed by Japan, and displayed indifference to Japan’s angry response.

Yamaguchi’s visit to Beijing marks a start for Tokyo to patch up ties with China, Liu said. The move may prevent further tension from damaging broader ties, Liu said.

The Japanese government on Monday again rejected a request by the Tokyo prefectural government to land on the Diaoyu Islands.

But Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said on Tuesday he will continue to seek approval, Kyodo news agency said.

Ishihara in April publicized a plan by the Tokyo prefectural government to "buy" the islands from a so-called private owner.

The Japanese prime minister also announced last month his cabinet’s plan to "nationalize" the islands.

Chinese analysts said ties between the two Asian giants will face uncertainty.

"Putting aside the intentions behind the letter, we should remain alert and we cannot be too optimistic," said Wang Ping, a specialist on Japanese studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Kyodo quoted Japanese government sources as saying that the cabinet is speeding up its plan to "nationalize" the islands in September.

Feng Wei, a specialist on Japanese studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, warned the move will cause outrage in China.