Jun 29 08:19 AM US/Eastern
TOKYO, June 29 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Tuesday expressed a negative view about expanding the Group of Eight forum to include China as a member, saying the forum should maintain its principle of bringing together "developed countries that share the same (democratic) values."
Prime Minister Naoto Kan proposed during a working dinner of G-8 leaders in Canada on Saturday that the forum invite China "in some cases" to help make Beijing more responsible in the international community. Okada told a press conference that the premier had no intention of asking China to join the forum as an official member.
The foreign minister said he believes the G-8 framework is "very important" for discussing topics such as development and political matters including how to deal with North Korea.
"In talks on economic matters, it would be effective to have emerging economies as members, but it is not necessarily appropriate to discuss issues such as development and climate change at meetings of the Group of 20" advanced and emerging economies, Okada said.
China, a G-20 member, has often taken part in outreach sessions of the G-8 meetings. Okada said the G-8 needs to invite nonmembers occasionally, but that those guests will not become permanent members.
The G-8 countries are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. The G-20 is composed of the eight major nations plus key emerging countries, including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
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