Japanese Ambassador to China: Striving for Japan-China Summit at November APEC

Shanghai, May 22 (CNA) - Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi, in an interview with Kyodo News, stated that a summit is crucial for improving Japan-China relations and that he will exert maximum effort to facilitate a meeting between the two leaders during the APEC summit in Shenzhen this November. According to Kyodo News, Japan-China relations have remained tense since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on a 'Taiwan contingency' last November. The Japanese government hopes that a direct meeting between Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will serve as a breakthrough, though it remains cautious about the prospects given the severe state of bilateral ties. In an interview at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Beijing on the 20th, Kanasugi explained that the push for a summit is because 'in China, holding a summit sends a signal to every corner of the country, creating a positive impact.' He indicated that Japan would accumulate ministerial and leader-level contacts through occasions such as Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masaaki Akazawa's attendance at the APEC trade ministers' meeting in Suzhou on the 22nd-23rd, and the UN General Assembly in September. Regarding the Chinese government's criticism of the Takaichi administration's defense buildup as 'new militarism,' Kanasugi pointed out that 'this narrative from China has not been adopted by third countries.' He added that Japan's current security policy is not a product of the Takaichi administration alone, but the result of over a decade of efforts by successive cabinets. Kanasugi expressed a desire to communicate Japan's position and seek understanding, but admitted that the lack of dialogue is 'frustrating.' Kanasugi noted the long-standing multi-layered exchanges in economy and culture, stating that 'more than 10,000 Japanese companies operate in over 30,000 locations in China, with nearly 100,000 Japanese nationals living there,' emphasizing that deteriorating relations would become a 'destabilizing factor for the region.' China is hosting this year's APEC summit, and ministerial meetings are being held across the country. On the 15th, Minister for Children's Policy Hitoshi Kikawada attended the APEC 'Women and the Economy Forum' in Shanghai, marking the first visit by a Japanese cabinet minister to China since relations deteriorated.