Japan-China Relations
Meeting between Foreign Minister Hayashi and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Wang Yi
February 18, 2023
On February 18, commencing at 12:55 p.m., Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, during his visit to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, for approximately 50 minutes. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Hayashi congratulated Director Wang on his appointment to his new post, to which Director Wang expressed his gratitude. Minister Hayashi also stated that, with it soon being one year since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, it is highly significant that the diplomatic authorities of Japan and China are meeting here in Europe, and expressed his intention to hold a valuable exchange of views in a wide range of fields towards building a “constructive and stable relationship” between Japan and China and ensuring the peace and stability of the international community. Director Wang expressed the same view.
- While touching upon many challenges and concerns facing Japan-China relations, Minister Hayashi again expressed serious concerns regarding the East China Sea including the situation surrounding the Senkaku Islands, as well as China’s increasingly active military activities near Japan including its coordination with Russia, and clearly conveyed, once again, Japan’s position regarding the specific balloon-shaped flying objects that have been detected in Japan’s territorial airspace in the past. In addition, Minister Hayashi stated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
- Minister Hayashi also referred to the potential of cooperation in the economic area over which the leaders of the two countries shared their views at the meeting in November 2022 and the importance of fostering an appropriate environment and revitalizing people-topeople exchanges, including the youth. Director Wang echoed Minister Hayashi’s views.
- Minister Hayashi once again called on China to make positive contributions to the international community under established international rules and, in particular, urged China to respond to the situation in Ukraine as a responsible major power. In addition, Minister Hayashi strongly condemned North Korea's launch of an ICBM-class ballistic missile on 18th and confirmed continued close cooperation on the response to North Korea with Director Wang, including the abductions issue.
- Minister Hayashi and Director Wang welcomed that Japan and China have agreed to hold the Japan-China Security Dialogue, the Japan-China Consultations between Diplomatic Authorities, and the Japan-China Economic Partnership Consultation next week, and confirmed that they will continue close communication at all levels, including at the leaders’ and foreign ministers’ levels.