Seeking Improvement in Relationship with China

As appealing his achievement with US President Donald Trump to build a “golden age” of Japan-US relationship, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is focusing his diplomacy on improvement of bilateral relations with China. He and his staffs accumulate sessions with Chinese officials to normalize trade between both sides of the sea. It is likely that Japan is preparing for possible trade war, invoked by the “tariff man” in America. 

While seeking early meeting with Trump, Ishiba took opportunities to meet with Chinese leaders. Following a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in the backdrop of ASEAN leaders meeting at Laos last October, Ishiba had his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Peru last November, where a summit meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was held. Ishiba reconfirmed with Xi to maintain “mutual beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.”

 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya visited China in December. It was the first visit of Japanese foreign minister to visit China in these twenty-one months. As its counter action, Chinese foreign minister Wan Yi, former Chinese Ambassador to Japan, plans to visit Japan in March. Japan, China and South Korea are also coordinating a trilateral summit meeting in Japan. Li is expected to participate in the meeting.

 

After inauguration as US president in January, Trump consecutively expressed his intention to raise tariffs on foreign goods, such as steel, aluminum or automobiles. Japan is afraid of negative impact of Trump’s protectionism, making a plea for exclusion of Japan from the targets of Trump tariffs. On the other hand, Japan is accelerating its effort for fixing problems with economic relations with China. China is the world biggest recipient of Japan’s exports.

 

Japan hopes China to ease its regulation on Japanese foods, imposed after discharge of processed water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. A business delegation headed by the chairman of Japan Business Federation Masakazu Tokura in February exchanged with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng a statement seeking better opportunities for further investment and safety for Japanese business families in China.

 

Along with the trend of easing tension, China removed a buoy within Japan’s economic exclusive zone around Senkaku Islands, which China had set in July 2023. It was supposed that Chinese government set that buoy to appeal its ownership of the islands. Japan has been demanding China to remove it. “It finished its mission,” explained a Chinese official, arguing that the buoy was for observing maritime weather.

 

Japanese government recognized that action by Chinese government as a sign of its willingness to improve bilateral relationship, with concern of negative impact of Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods. It is undeniable that Trump’s tariff policy shorten the diplomatic distance between China and Japan.

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