Japan-China Relations
Japan-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
On August 2, commencing at around 2:55 p.m. (Japan time) for approximately 35 minutes (consecutive interpretation), Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is visiting Singapore to attend ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, held a Japan-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with Mr. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China. The overview is as follows.
1. Beginning
(1) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang once again expressed his sympathy over the recent torrential rain disaster in western Japan.
(2) Minister Kono expressed gratitude for the sympathy and condolences that Japan received from China on the occasion of the torrential rain disaster, and explained that he hopes to discuss the way ahead in Japan-China relationship based on the successful visit to Japan by Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of China, in May.
2. Japan-China relations
(1) The two sides confirmed that they will aim to realize a visit to China this year by Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan based on the invitation made during Premier Li’s visit to Japan, and will seek to achieve concrete outcomes in various fields on that occasion, along with confirming that they will link those outcomes to realizing President Xi Jinping’s subsequent visit to Japan. They also shared the view that Japan and China will undertake communication, including at the leadership level, while utilizing international fora also.
(2) With regard to the field of economy, the two sides shared the view that the outcomes of Premier Li’s visit to Japan will be steadily realized, such as deepening Japan-China business cooperation in third countries and financial cooperation, along with strengthening communication related to innovation and protection of intellectual property rights.
(3) The two sides shared the view that they will continue to strive to promote people-to-people exchanges in order to improve public sentiment, in particular reciprocal awareness among the younger generation, which is the foundation for the relationship between the two countries. They also shared the view that they will endeavor to further enhance communication between the two countries’ foreign affairs authorities in various fields.
(4) The two sides shared the view that the stability of the East China Sea is important. Minister Kono raised the issue of development of resources in the East China Sea and the situation around the Senkaku Islands, and indicated that there will need to be concrete progress in the maritime and security fields in order to put the Japan-China relationship on a truly stable development path.
3. North Korea situation
The two sides confirmed the importance of cooperation and coordination by both Japan and China with regard to the North Korea situation.