
About 50 delegates from the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade departed from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Beijing, China on the 27th to seek meetings with the Chinese leadership, and efforts at the private level to improve China-Japan relations are continuing.
AI-generated summary
Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated last November due to the Japanese Prime Minister's remarks about intervening in Taiwan's emergency, and Sino-Japanese economic exchanges are also at a standstill. The Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade is an organization established for the purpose of promoting trade with China, and its visit to China was postponed last June due to the death of former Chairman Yohei Kono.
About 50 members of the Japan International Trade Promotion Delegation depart for Beijing.
(Tokyo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Do-yeon = Kyodo News reported that a delegation from Japan's private China-Japan economic exchange organization will visit China on the 27th to seek an opportunity to meet with the Chinese leadership.
A delegation from the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade, chaired by former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, departed from Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan to Beijing, China on this day.
In addition to Chairman Iwaya, the delegation visiting China consisted of about 50 people, including executives from Japanese companies.
They are requesting meetings with key figures in the Chinese leadership, and attention will be paid to whether China responds, Kyodo News reported.
Chairman Iwaya announced his plan to visit China at the Chinese National Day event held in Tokyo on the 24th and said that China-Japan relations are in a "very serious situation."
He then emphasized, "I think I would like to have an honest exchange of opinions" with the Chinese side and "From a civilian perspective, I want to do my best, albeit in a small way, to develop and improve Japan-China relations."
The Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade was established for the purpose of promoting trade with China, and was chaired by Yohei Kono, former chairman of the Japanese House of Representatives, who passed away last June.
The association's delegation was originally scheduled to visit China last June, but the visit was postponed due to the death of former Chairman Kono.
Former Foreign Minister Iwaya will serve as the association's president, succeeding former Chairman Kono.
Former Chairman Kono had recommended former Foreign Minister Iwaya as his successor during his lifetime, and the association is said to have selected former Foreign Minister Iwaya considering his experience as a foreign minister.
Relations between China and Japan deteriorated last November due to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks suggesting Taiwan's intervention in the event of an emergency, and exchanges between China and Japan in the economic circles have also stalled.
Accordingly, efforts to find a breakthrough in improving Sino-Japanese relations are continuing within Japan, with small lawmakers from the bipartisan National Assembly Japan-China Friendship Congressmen recently visiting China.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
There is a possibility that China will respond to the delegation's request for a meeting.
Possible · Within days
Efforts at the private level to improve China-Japan relations will continue
Likely · Within weeks

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