Japan’s Minister of Economy and Industry, Akazawa Ryo, stated on May 23rd that during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers Meeting held in Suzhou, he had a brief conversation with China’s Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao. This marked the first contact between ministerial-level officials of Japan and China since the escalation of diplomatic tensions between the two countries last year.
Akazawa Ryo mentioned on May 23rd that during a dinner on Friday night (May 22nd), he approached China’s Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao, who was sitting alone at a table. Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hori Igawa, who also attended the two-day APEC Trade Ministers Meeting with Akazawa, informed the media that he had a conversation with Wang Wentao on a boat during a post-dinner cruise.
Both Akazawa Ryo and Hori Igawa did not disclose the specifics of their interaction with Wang Wentao. However, Hori Igawa stated that they have requested China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens in China following the knife attack incident in Shanghai.
On Tuesday, May 19th, a stabbing incident involving a man named Yang occurred at a Japanese restaurant inside the Shanghai World Financial Center, where three people were injured by a fruit knife – two Japanese men and one Chinese woman. Both China and Japan have not disclosed the identities of the victims, but Japanese media revealed that the two Japanese individuals are related to the operator of the skyscraper, Mori Building.
According to Chinese authorities, the suspect Yang has a history of mental illness. China currently describes the attack as an “isolated incident.”
Japanese Prime Minister Soana Takichi stated during a parliamentary session last November that sudden events near Taiwan could “threaten (Japan’s) existence.”
Subsequently, China has implemented a series of diplomatic, economic, and people-to-people pressure measures on Japan, leading to a continued deterioration of the bilateral relationship.
China’s measures include diplomatic and media pressure on Japan, issuing warnings against traveling to Japan, restricting Chinese tour groups to Japan, temporarily suspending or limiting imports of Japanese seafood, tightening exports of rare earths and dual-use goods, canceling or freezing cultural exchange activities with Japan, and suspending youth and education exchanges.
The APEC Trade Ministers Meeting held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, concluded on the 23rd after two days of discussions.
Following the conclusion of the APEC meeting, Akazawa Ryo stated that he had called for the cancellation of export restrictions on rare earths and other critical minerals that do not comply with international norms because these measures could “severely impact the global supply chain.”
Akazawa emphasized, “The Japanese government’s policy of seeking to establish a strategic mutually beneficial relationship with China has not changed.”
Taiwan, as one of the 21 member economies of APEC, sent its trade negotiator Yang Jenny to attend the Suzhou meeting. However, according to Japanese officials, neither Akazawa nor Hori had contact with her.
China is the host country of APEC this year and the summit will be held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province in November.