Overview
- Director‑level talks in Beijing between Japan’s Masaki Kanai and China’s Liu Jinsong ended without narrowing differences over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Diet remarks on a Taiwan contingency.
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Kihara reaffirmed that the government will not retract the prime minister’s answer, saying it does not alter Japan’s established position.
- During the Beijing meeting, Japan lodged a strong protest over social media posts by China’s consul general in Osaka and sought corrective action.
- The Japanese Embassy in China urged residents to take safety precautions, reflecting practical effects of the diplomatic strain.
- Aichi Prefecture will end its Israel–startup matching program by year‑end, citing achieved objectives and Gaza‑related travel constraints, while the Defense Ministry disclosed that about 30% of SDF drones are domestically produced.