East Asia Summit/On The Sidelines: Faulty pen brings a slight thaw

New Strait Times
Dec. 15, 2005

FOR 15 minutes, they sat in silence, barely acknowledging each other’s presence.

But there was a slight thaw in the frosty relations between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao as they signed a declaration of the East Asia Summit.

Koizumi’s pen did not work and he had to ask for a helping hand from Wen. The Chinese PM passed him a pen from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. This was enough to draw cheers and laughter from reporters, which Koizumi acknowledged by waving the pen in the air.

Both leaders had been aiming barbs at each other over the Japanese leader’s visit to the controversial Yasukuni shrine.

When asked at a Press conference to comment on the encounter between both leaders, Abdullah he said he did not wish to comment or read into their body language.

But the last word on the matter came from China. "Everybody saw clearly what happened at the meeting," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes-man Liu Jianchao was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

"China’s stance towards historical issues between China and Japan has not changed."

SIX protesters were arrested yesterday as police broke up a demonstration outside the venue.

Officers wrestled one of the men to the ground and handcuffed him before taking him to a police van.

Two women shouted and tussled with police officers trying to break up the protest.

One of those arrested was Tian Chua, the information chief of Parti Keadilan Rakyat.