Asian Political News: Kyodo news summary -5-

TOKYO, April 18 Kyodo

---------- Koizumi to focus on amity rather than gap in talks with Hu

TOKYO - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated Monday he may avoid mentioning Japan's call on China to apologize and compensate for damage caused from recent anti-Japan rallies in China in his anticipated meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao as part of his fence-mending efforts.

''A summit can be different from foreign ministerial talks,'' Koizumi told reporters, referring to bilateral talks Sunday in Beijing in which Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura called on his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing to apologize and redress the damage.

---------- Japan-China spat a concern but won't hurt 6-way talks: envoy

TOKYO - New U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer expressed concern Monday about tensions between Japan and China but was optimistic that the recent developments would not affect cooperation over the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program.

In his first news conference since assuming duties as ambassador in Tokyo, Schieffer also said the United States will send a team of scientific experts to Japan next week to convince Tokyo of the safety of U.S. beef, in hopes of an early lifting of Japan's 16-month-old import ban imposed due to mad cow disease.

---------- Singapore gives green light for 2 casinos to boost tourism

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday announced that Singapore will scrap its longstanding ban on casino gaming and will allow the construction of two casinos to woo tourists and keep Singapore ahead of fierce economic competition in the region.

Addressing parliament, Lee said, ''After studying the bids and considering all the views expressed, the Cabinet has decided to proceed with the project.''

---------- India, Pakistan leaders agree to work toward Kashmir solution

NEW DELHI - The leaders of India and Pakistan pledged Monday to maintain the bilateral peace process and not allow terrorism to impede it even as the two countries move toward finding a ''final solution'' to their territorial dispute over divided Kashmir.

In a joint statement read out by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the end of Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's three-day visit, he and Musharraf agreed that the peace process is now ''irreversible.''