Japan-China Confrontation Likely to Continue

Johannesburg, Nov. 23 (Jiji Press)–The confrontation between Japan and China stemming from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks over Taiwan is now seen dragging on after she was unable to have contact with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the latest Group of 20 summit through Sunday. The Japanese side apparently has no effective measures to improve the strained bilateral relations. While noting that she did not have a conversation with Li, Takaichi told reporters after the end of the two-day G-20 summit, “Because there are pending issues and challenges (between Japan and China), we should reduce them and increase understanding and cooperation.” China’s Foreign Ministry had denied before the start of the G-20 summit that Li would meet with Takaichi on the sidelines of the international meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. Similarly, a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official had said it would be difficult for Takaichi to hold dialogue with Li on the fringe of the G-20 summit. Still, the Japanese side explored the possibility of unofficial dialogue between Takaichi and Li, such as a brief chat, expecting that a top-level contact could pave the way for easing the tensions. Tokyo saw the need to call on China to respond calmly, after Beijing effectively suspended imports of Japanese fishery products in apparent retaliation for Takaichi’s remarks. China is also repeatedly criticizing Japan over the remarks made by the prime minister at a parliamentary meeting earlier this month that China’s possible use of force against Taiwan could constitute a so-called survival-threatening situation for Japan, in which the country can exercise its right to collective self-defense. On the first day of the G-20 summit, Takaichi talked with leaders of 18 countries and international organizations, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whom she met for the first time since taking office last month. Takaichi and Li approached each other when summit participants took a commemorative photo, but did not exchange words. In recent years, there were many cases in which leaders of Japan and China held bilateral meetings on the margin of international summit meetings. The fact that Takaichi was unable to meet with Li during the latest G-20 summit suggests that the divide between the two sides runs deep, indicating that opportunities to ease tensions remain distant in a blow to the Japanese leader. Takaichi hopes to continue efforts to find opportunities for dialogue with the Chinese side, noting that interaction is all the more important because there are pending issues between the two countries. But no major international summit meetings are scheduled in the near future. In addition, it remains unclear if and when a trilateral summit among Japan, China and South Korea, which Tokyo hopes to hold early, will be arranged. As Takaichi has no intention to meet China’s demand for the withdrawal of her parliamentary remarks in question, relations between Tokyo and Beijing are likely to remain strained for the time being. With a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official suggesting that there is no measure with quick effects to turn around the situation, Tokyo aims to make patient efforts at all levels to improve the bilateral ties. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]