Japan not keen on China-proposed emergency meet on Korean tension

Japan on Monday dismissed immediate return to the table on Korea tensions as proposed by China. Officials in Tokyo maintained that the focus currently is on working 'closely' with South Korea and the United States.

Yoshito Sengoku, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, told reporters on Monday that the decisions on whether to go ahead with the stalled Six-Party talks will be taken in coordination with the United States and South Korea.

The Kyodo News reported that Sengoku maintained that the multilateral talks, chaired by China, 'would not be fruitful as long as North Korea does not show signs of stopping provocative acts'.

China on Sunday proposed an emergency meeting of all nations involved in the six-party talks over North Korea in early December. Seoul responded immediately dismissing the resumption of talks as not timely. Both the South and North along with the United States, China, Japan and Russia are involved in the talks that have been stalled since April 2009. Both United States and Russia are yet to respond to China's proposal.

Japan and China have been at loggerheads after both sides reiterated territorial claims of the disputed, yet uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. China calls the region as Diaoyu while Japan refers to it as Senkaku islands. Surrounding the islands lie rich fishing grounds and huge deposits of gas and oil reserves. Diplomatic ties between the countries were strained after both sides announced increased vigil over the isles.