Overview
- China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met privately with former foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya and a JAPIT business delegation and told them ties face a severe situation that needs to be normalized, according to Chinese statements about the Monday meeting.
- Wang urged Japan to “correct the erroneous words and deeds” of its leader on the Taiwan question, directly referencing Takaichi’s parliamentary comments that linked a Taiwan crisis to possible deployment of Japanese troops.
- Beijing has frozen formal diplomatic contact with Tokyo since Takaichi’s remarks and has applied political and economic pressures, including restrictions on rare-earth exports that affect high-tech supply chains.
- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng told the Japanese business delegation there is no problem with shipping rare earths for civilian purposes to Japan, a limited economic opening reported by delegation leaders during the visit.
- The private-sector JAPIT trip is serving as an unofficial backchannel to explore a thaw while Chinese officials invoke wartime history and anniversary milestones to press Japan on its public stance and defense policies.