Taking Care of Diplomacy with Neighbors

Shigeru Ishiba administration promotes diplomacy with neighbor countries, namely China and the Republic of Korea. The delegation of the leading coalition, Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, visited Beijing and had meetings with high-level officials of Chinese Communist Party. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Takeshi Iwaya, made a trip to Seoul to meet with ROK foreign minister. Preparation for incoming President of the United States, Donald Trump, and political turmoil in ROK urged Japan to stabilize diplomatic relationship with those countries.

The leading parties of Japan and China started consultative meeting in 2006, when Ameirca-leaning Jun-ichiro Koizumi administration exacerbated bilateral relationship of them. The meeting in Beijing on January 14th marked the ninth meeting. It was the first time for the leading parties to have the meeting since 2018 when they had their eighth meeting in Tokyo.

 

The delegation of Japan’s leading parties, led by LDP Secretary General (SG) Hiroshi Moriyama and the SG of Komeito Makoto Nishida, had a meeting with Wang Huning, the Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference being ranked at the fourth leader of the Chinese Communist Party. The leaders of both sides reconfirmed promotion of mutually beneficial relationship based on strategic interests.

 

Along with the line drawn in intergovernmental meetings, Moriyama asked Wang early removal of regulation on importing sea products from Japan and enhancement of safety for Japanese residents in China, based on the concern after a murder on a Japanese elementary school student in Beijing last October. Moriyama also expressed his concern on unilateral activities of China in the East China Sea.

 

The delegates also had a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, asking support for the issue of abduction of Japanese people by North Korea. On January 15th, the delegates had a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister, Li Qiang. Li stated that the bilateral relations between China and Japan was in an important moment for improvement and development.

 

On the same day, ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained for questioning over martial law. Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stressed that the Japanese government would closely watch the situation in ROK. He insisted that Japan would keep close communication with ROK government.

 

In the visit to ROK, Japanese foreign minister Iwaya confirmed close communication over the development of missile and nuclear weapons by North Korea with ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cho Tae-yul. Iwaya and Cho shared serious concern on military cooperation between Russia and North Korea over the War in Ukraine. They noticed the importance of their trilateral security framework including the United States.

 

Japan shares a common interest with China to deal with emboldened US President-elect Donald Trump who has announced his intention to impose heavy tariffs on foreign products. Japan also need the ROK as the closest partner in the region to face the threat of North Korea. Ishiba administration is accelerating diplomatic effort in the volatile condition of regional security.

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