China presses Japan on history during Beijing visit
SCMP · 2 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
China received a 50-member Japanese business delegation in Beijing this week, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi meeting former Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya on Monday and Vice Premier He Lifeng seeing the group on Tuesday. Beijing combined a welcoming message for Japanese companies with pointed criticism of Japan’s handling of wartime history and its recent comments on Taiwan. Chinese officials said bilateral ties remained in a severe situation and had not yet returned to normal, despite the rare arrangement of high-level meetings on two consecutive days. The visit came as both governments navigate a prolonged diplomatic chill and shifting regional dynamics after last week’s Xi Jinping-Donald Trump summit in Washington
Key Points
- Wang Yi met Takeshi Iwaya in Beijing on Monday, giving the Japanese visit its highest-ranking Chinese reception in nearly a year
- Iwaya led a 50-member delegation of corporate executives as chairman of the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade.
- Wang said ties faced a “severe situation”, were “yet to be normalised”, and urged Tokyo to correct leadership remarks concerning Taiwan
- He Lifeng told the delegation on Tuesday that China welcomes Japanese firms to develop in China and share market opportunities
- Analysts cited by Kyodo said Beijing’s back-to-back senior-level meetings were intended to push Tokyo to adjust its stance toward China
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the episode matters because it shows Beijing linking market access and business engagement with political expectations in managing a major Asian trading relationship. It also suggests that any improvement in China-Japan ties may remain fragile if disputes over history and Taiwan continue to overshadow economic cooperation.