Japan, China Leaders Unlikely to Meet at G-20 Summit

Johannesburg, Nov. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday called for cooperation to ensure stable supplies of critical minerals, on the final day of the two-day Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Meanwhile, there is a growing view that Takaichi is unlikely to have a contact with Chinese Premier Li Qiang before they leave Johannesburg. Close attention has been paid to whether the two leaders would have bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G-20 summit at a time when tensions are running high between the East Asian nations following Takaichi’s recent remarks on a potential contingency over Taiwan. In the second-day discussions at the summit among the 20 advanced and emerging economies, Takaichi stressed that ensuring stable supplies of critical minerals is important for the development of the global economy. Apparently with China’s export restrictions on rare earth minerals in mind, she said that the international community is increasingly concerned about export control systems for important minerals. Diversifying supply sources, including refining and processing, is an urgent issue, she added. Countries need to work together to build resilient and reliable supply chains for critical minerals, Takaichi said, calling for efforts to avoid excessive dependence on any specific supply chain. Takaichi and Li did not have a contact on Saturday. Asked whether they would have dialogue on Sunday, Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki, who is accompanying Takaichi on her trip to Johannesburg, had told reporters, “Nothing has been decided.” Sino-Japanese relations have been deteriorating since Takaichi said 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. The Taiwan issue is the “core of the core interests” of China. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]