Overview
- The leaders met for roughly 30 minutes in Gyeongju, South Korea, on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
- Xi Jinping said Beijing would maintain communication with Tokyo and urged that disagreements not define the broader relationship.
- Sanae Takaichi affirmed Japan’s goal of a strategically beneficial relationship, citing shared responsibility for regional peace and a desire for tangible outcomes despite outstanding issues.
- No specific agreements were announced in these accounts, with the meeting serving as a reaffirmation of intent to improve ties.
- It was their first summit since November 2024, and their language echoed a 2006 framework on a ‘mutually beneficial strategic relationship.’