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April 2, 2010: China alerts Japan to the pending executions of four Japanese nationals convicted of drug smuggling. April 2, 2010: Senior Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Foreign Ministry officials meet in Jeju, South Korea to advance trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting. April 3, 2010: Deputy Prime Minister (PM) Kan Naoto in Beijing expresses Japan’s concerns over executions; participates in Japan-China Finance Dialogue. April 5, 2010: PM Hatoyama Yukio meets journalists attending a Japan-China journalist conference in Tokyo and exchanges views on Japan-China war and history April 6, 2010: Executions of the Japanese drug smugglers are carried out in China. April 7, 2010: People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ships conduct training exercises in East China Sea. April 10, 2010: PLA Navy ships transit in international waters between Okinawa’s main island and Miyakojima and conduct training exercises through April 23. April 13, 2010: Kyodo News Service reports the Hatoyama government’s intention to encourage Chinese tourists by easing regulations for individual Chinese visitors. April 13, 2010: Minister of Defense Kitazawa Toshimi announces April 10 transit of PLA Navy. April 12, 2010: PM Hatoyama and President Hu Jintao meet in Washington on sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit. April 21, 2010: Japan’s Ministry of Defense announces Chinese helicopter approached a Japanese destroyer conducting surveillance activities. April 21, 2010: Foreign Minister (FM) Okada Katsuya acknowledges that Hatoyama did not raise helicopter incident with Hu. April 27, 2010: China’s Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua suggests Japan’s surveillance of PLA Navy’s training exercises indicates a lack of trust on the part of Japan. April 28, 2010: Japanese Foreign Ministry issues web-site warning to travelers visiting China about the potential death penalty for involvement in drug smuggling. May 1, 2010: Japan Pavilion opens at Shanghai Exposition. Japan-China Relations 123 July 2010 May 3, 2010: Asahi Shimbun poll finds 67 percent of respondents are opposed to amending Article 9 of Japan’s constitution. May 4, 2010: China’s Vice President Xi Jinping meets a visiting delegation from the Diet’s Japan-China Friendship League. May 6-7, 2010: Japan, China, and South Korea hold a working level discussion on a trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in Seoul. May 6-7, 2010: Taiwanese fishing trawler enters Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). May 10, 2010: Japan decides to ease visa requirements for individual Chinese tourists. The change will take effect July 1. May 12, 2010: Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou expresses hopes for conclusion of Taiwan-Japan FTA. May 12, 2010: Japan announces that it will accept less than 50 percent share of investment in Shirakaba/Chunxiao natural gas field. May 13, 2010: Premier Wen Jiabao meets a visiting Keidanren delegation and expresses hope for the conclusion of China-Japan-ROK FTA. May 14, 2010: FM Okada says it is necessary to carefully monitor the development of China’s nuclear and naval power. May 15-16, 2010: Foreign ministers of Japan, China, and ROK meet in Gyeongju Korea. During a bilateral Japan-China meeting Okada challenges China’s efforts at nuclear arms reduction. May 18, 2010: Japanese Consulate in Qingdao is informed by Chinese Customs authorities that a Japanese national has been detained on charges related to the possession of illegal drugs. May 22-23, 2010: Japan,China, and South Korean environment ministers meet in Hokkaido. May 23, 2010: Japan, China, and ROK trade ministers meet in Seoul to discuss regional economic cooperation. May 25, 2010: Taiwanese ship enters Japan’s EEZ in Senkaku island chain to assert Taiwan sovereignty claim. May 29-30, 2010: Japan, China, and ROK summit is held in Jeju, ROK. May 30-June 1, 2010: Premier Wen visits Japan and meets PM Hatoyama in Tokyo; Wen commits to early negotiations on East China Sea. Japan-China Relations 124 July 2010 June 1, 2010: Hatoyama government releases policy statement on his concept of an East Asia Community, saying that US involvement as vital. June 1, 2010: Japan’s Foreign Ministry releases a poll of US opinion leaders in which China topped Japan as the most important partner in Asia for the US – 56 percent to 36 percent. In a poll of the general public, Japan and China tied at 44 percent. June 2, 2010: PM Hatoyama resigns. June 4, 2010: Kan Naoto is elected as Japan’s new prime minister. June 7, 2010: Workers at Honda Motors affiliate Yutaka Giken go on strike in Guangzhou. June 8, 2010: Kan government takes office. June 14, 2010: PM Kan makes his initial policy speech to Diet. He casts the US-Japan alliance as the cornerstone of Japan’s diplomacy; relations with China included with other states of Asia. June 15, 2010: Kan tells Upper House that he has no intention to visit Yasukuni Shrine while prime minister and that constitutional reform not a pressing issue. June 15, 2010: Tokyo announces the appointment of Niwa Uichiro as ambassador to China. June 15, 2010: Workers at Toyota affiliate Toyota Gosei go on strike in Tianjin. June 21-25, 2010: Toyota Motor hit by strike at its Guangzhou assembly plant; a labor agreement reached on June 25. June 25-26, 2010: PM Kan attends G8 in Toronto and proposes inviting China to attend future G8 meetings. June 25, 2010: Japan’s National Tourist Organization reports 600,000 Chinese citizens visited Japan between January-May, an increase of 36 percent over 2009. June 25, 2010: Yonagumi town assembly discusses possible deployment of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) forces to the island. June 26, 2010: Upper House of the Diet passes legislation identifying Okinotorishima and Minamitorishima as “special distant islands” as preparations are advanced to begin construction of port facilities to strengthen Japan’s EEZ claims. June 27, 2010: PM Kan meets President Hu on sidelines of G20 Summit in Toronto. June 29, 2010: FM Okada tells a press conference that G8 membership should be based on a commitment to democracy and shared values.