On June 17, 2003, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met with his Japanese counterpart Yoriko Kawaguchi on the sideline of the ASEAN meetings in Phnom Penh. They exchanged opinions on Sino-Japanese relations and other issues.

Li said that not long ago, in their important meeting in San Petersburg, President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Koizumi confirmed and stressed the importance of developing China-Japan relations. He said that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese friendship treaty. He hoped that the two countries, making use of this chance, would put the results of the leaders' meetings into practice, continually expand the converging point of common interests, pay real attention to existing issues, handle properly the history issue and Taiwan question in particular, and make solid efforts in improving and enhancing their relations.

On her part, Kawaguchi expressed Japan's belief that strengthening Japan-China friendship conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples. She noted that Japan will push for all-round development of bilateral relations in the new century in the spirit of the Japan-China joint declaration and other two documents.

On the same day, Li also met with U Win Aung, Jayakumar, and Philip Bruce Goff, foreign ministers of Myanmar, Singapore and New Zealand respectively.