China's government on Wednesday appealed to its public to end fierce protests over Japan's handling of its wartime history and its campaign for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat, while the U.N. chief urged the two nations to hold a summit to defuse their row. In comments widely reported Wednesday by state television and newspapers, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing appealed for calm and said the public should not take part in unauthorized demonstrations. On his part, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was heading to Indonesia to attend this week's Asia-Africa summit, urged Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao to hold a one-on-one meeting at the summit over the weekend. "I will see the leaders individually, but I would encourage them to meet to discuss their differences on this issue," Annan said as he prepared to fly to Jakarta. "Both of them will be there, and I think it offers an opportunity, and hopefully they will take advantage."
