Japan, China enter 2006 with problems beset by more problems
(Kyodo)
Updated: 2005-12-30 16:53

Koizumi's latest visit to the shrine in October put a stop even to talks between the countries' leaders on the sidelines of multilateral meetings in other countries.

Those "third-country" talks were the only way for the leaders to meet after reciprocal visits to China or Japan by the leaders were halted by Koizumi's earlier shrine visits.

But even with diplomatic exchanges between the two countries stalled, the list of bilateral problems has continued to grow.

The latest addition is a spat over the suicide of a staff member at the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai in 2004.

Japan says the death was linked to actions by Chinese security agents, while China has slammed the allegation, calling it "vile" behavior that "smears" Beijing's image.

One bilateral issue the two countries had tried to tackle on the working-level in 2005 was the dispute over the gas and oil exploration rights in the East China Sea.

That row stems from an unsettled demarcation in the sea where the Chinese and Japanese 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones overlap.

Japan is concerned Chinese drilling might siphon off resources that could be under Japan-claimed waters.

But those talks stalled, too.