East China Sea Dispute

Huang also said China and Japan would work to resolve a dispute over natural gas deposits in the East China Sea, which are claimed by both.

"We will continue to talk about the East China Sea," Huang said, "and we'll make the East China Sea an area of peace."

Japan has urged China to stop exploration in the area until the two energy-hungry nations can set up a system for joint use of the reserves.

The contentious issue of the Yasukuni Shrine was not discussed among the two leaders, a Japanese government official told reporters on the condition he not be named.

Both China and Japan are involved in the six-nation talks designed to end North Korea's nuclear weapon program, which may resume in December in Beijing.

'Flexibility and Restraint'

"We insist on the principle of being flexible and restrained on this issue," said Liu Jianchao, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, following the meeting between Hu and Abe. "At the moment all parties need to continue to keep calm and be restrained to prevent the situation from further deteriorating."

Canada's government said its ambassador to South and North Korea would visit Pyongyang with a message urging the resolution of the nuclear issue so that Canada could give aid to North Korea.

Abe is scheduled to meet US President George W. Bush and South Korea President Roh Moo Hyun today, as well as counterparts from Australia and Russia.

The 21 APEC members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.

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