Japan-China trade talks yield only brief exchange at APEC meeting

At the APEC trade ministers' meeting held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao had a brief, informal exchange. However, the actual interaction appears to have been limited to greetings.

The Japanese government is aiming to resume full-fledged exchanges, such as bilateral meetings, but the future remains uncertain.

"The Japanese government's policy of building constructive and stable relations with China has not changed," Akazawa said at a press conference held at a hotel in Suzhou on the 23rd, expressing his expectations for future meetings.

The Chinese government strongly reacted to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "Taiwan contingency" remarks last November. It effectively halted contact with the Japanese government and even called on its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, embarking on a nationwide "Japan exclusion" campaign. China also strengthened export controls on rare earths to Japan. Cases of Japanese companies being excluded from economic events held in China have also occurred one after another, with Japanese companies that have advanced into China expressing their distress, such as "improvement of government-level relations is an urgent issue" (an executive at a major manufacturer).

According to a Japanese government official, the Japanese side had requested the setting up of a meeting to coincide with Akazawa's visit to China from early on. There were also voices within the government saying, "We are aiming for a standing talk." However, another government official pointed out, "It is natural for participants in the same meeting to exchange conversation." The view that improving relations will not be easy also lingers.