Japan's foreign minister says APEC attendance is being coordinated

Bilateral meeting with Xi still under review

Japan-China tensions linger after Takaichi's Taiwan remarks

Tokyo says it wants 'constructive and stable' ties with Beijing

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a policy speech in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 5. [Reuters]
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a policy speech in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 5. [Reuters]

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is working to attend next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, though whether she will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping remains undecided.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told the upper house Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that the government is coordinating Takaichi's attendance at the APEC leaders' summit, according to Kyodo News.

On the possibility of a meeting with Xi, Motegi said bilateral talks "are currently under review," adding that he would "refrain from saying at this stage which countries" Takaichi would meet with.

The APEC summit is drawing attention as a potential diplomatic opening to repair Japan-China relations, which have deteriorated since Takaichi made remarks about Taiwan last year.

In November last year, Takaichi suggested Japan could intervene militarily in the event of a Taiwan contingency. China regards the Taiwan issue as a core national interest, and the remarks triggered a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties.

Against that backdrop, whether Takaichi will travel to China and meet directly with Xi has emerged as a key question.

The Japanese government has stressed the need to improve relations with China while maintaining a cautious stance on holding a summit.

At Tuesday's committee session, Motegi emphasized the historical significance of the four political documents that form the foundation of Japan-China relations, saying Tokyo must "properly accept" the history of bilateral agreements in which Japan said it fully understands and respects China's position on the "one China" principle.

The four political documents are the 1972 Japan-China Joint Statement issued at the normalization of diplomatic relations, the 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the 1998 Japan-China Joint Declaration and the 2008 Japan-China Joint Statement. They are regarded as the foundational diplomatic texts governing the two countries' relations and principles of cooperation.

"China is an important neighboring country," Motegi said. "We want to build a constructive and stable relationship through communication."


sjy@heraldcorp.com