Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (front row, left) answers lawmakers' questions at a joint committee meeting of both houses of parliament on basic national policy in Japan last month. [AFP]
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (front row, left) answers lawmakers' questions at a joint committee meeting of both houses of parliament on basic national policy in Japan last month. [AFP]

A cross-party delegation of Japanese lawmakers will visit Beijing this month for talks with senior Chinese Communist Party officials — the first such visit since bilateral relations chilled following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan last year. The trip is drawing close attention as a potential opening for the two countries to repair ties.

Japanese media outlets including Nippon TV and Kyodo News reported Wednesday that the delegation will travel to China from Monday through Thursday at the invitation of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, the party's body responsible for foreign exchanges.

The delegation includes Issha Shinichi, publicity committee chair of the moderate reform coalition, Hashimoto Kaku, a former parliamentary vice minister of health, labor and welfare from the Liberal Democratic Party, and Konishi Hiroyuki, an upper house member from the Constitutional Democratic Party. During their stay in Beijing, the group is expected to meet with senior CCP figures including International Department head Liu Jianchao.

In Japanese political circles, cautious optimism has emerged that China — which had taken a hard line toward Japan after Takaichi's comments suggesting Japan could intervene in a Taiwan contingency — made the first move by extending the invitation, signaling a desire to ease the strain in bilateral relations.

One member of the delegation told Nippon TV that China's invitation was "a forward-looking development," adding, "We can see that things have started to move, step by step, toward improving relations between the two countries."


kate01@heraldcorp.com