First Japanese Cabinet Member Visit to China Expected After PM's Taiwan Contingency Remarks

Central Message

(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 12th, comprehensive foreign report) Japanese cabinet member Hitoshi Kawakita stated today that he is coordinating to attend a ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Shanghai. If this visit materializes, he will be the first Japanese cabinet member to visit China since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "Taiwan contingency" remarks last year.

According to NHK, China will host the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November this year and plans to hold the "Women and the Economy Forum" in Shanghai starting on the 15th of this month, as the first ministerial-level meeting of APEC this year.

Hitoshi Kawakita, Japan's Minister in charge of Children's Policies, also covers policies related to gender equality. He stated at a press conference after the cabinet meeting today, "If various circumstances permit, we are coordinating to attend the 'Women and the Economy Forum'."

He also said, "If I can attend this meeting, I will directly convey our country's policies related to women's empowerment to relevant ministers from APEC member economies and hope to share various issues with countries and regions. This meeting will be a very meaningful opportunity for in-depth discussions."

Last year, when questioned in the House of Representatives, Takaichi stated that if a "Taiwan contingency" (an emergency in Taiwan) involves the use of force by the other party, it could constitute a "situation threatening Japan's existence" where Japan could exercise collective self-defense. Beijing strongly protested this, believing it implied possible military intervention in the Taiwan Strait. Japan-China relations have since deteriorated, with no ministerial-level dialogue between the two sides.

Kyodo News Chinese website reported today that after Japan-China relations fell into a stalemate, exchanges between the two sides significantly decreased. However, the Japan-China Economic Association revealed that it still hopes to maintain relations by dispatching small inspection teams.

The Japan-China Economic Association recently gathered about 30 members from manufacturers, trading companies, and other enterprises, and began a five-day visit to China yesterday, planning to visit robot research and development and application sites in Shanghai and Hangzhou.

The Japan-China Economic Association, the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry had originally planned to visit China in January this year, but Takaichi's remarks caused strong dissatisfaction from Beijing, leading to the postponement of the visit, and the timing of the visit is still uncertain. (Compiler: Yang Weijing) 1150512

Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.

Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.

The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.