During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in South Korea on Friday, October 31st, Japanese Prime Minister Koji Watanabe and Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping met for the first time. Watanabe expressed her concerns regarding China’s actions in the East China Sea, rare earth issues, and the relationship between Taiwan and mainland China. Both leaders pledged to stabilize the relationship between their countries.
The meeting highlighted the many challenges faced by both China and Japan in improving their bilateral relations. After a discussion that lasted about 30 minutes, Watanabe stated that she had expressed her concerns “frankly” about a range of issues.
These issues include China’s activities in the East China Sea (referring to Chinese warships frequently sailing near the southern islands of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan), China’s export controls on rare earths, and the safety of Japanese citizens in China. She also urged China to resume importing seafood and beef from Japan.
Watanabe also mentioned that China brought up the Taiwan issue, but she did not elaborate on Xi’s remarks. She told Xi that maintaining good cross-strait relations is crucial for regional security. She also expressed “serious concerns” about Hong Kong and Xinjiang issues.
According to Nikkei News, Xi stated to Watanabe in his opening remarks that China and Japan should promote a “long-term, healthy, and stable development” of their relationship. He also expressed his hope to “maintain communication” and move forward on the “right path.”
Both sides reaffirmed the “strategically mutually beneficial relationship” between the two countries and agreed to build a “constructive and stable” bilateral relationship.
According to Watanabe, both leaders agreed that effective communication between the defense departments of both countries is crucial.
Japanese media previously reported that Xi did not congratulate Watanabe when she was elected as Prime Minister ten days ago. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has neither confirmed nor denied the reports, only stating that they have made “appropriate arrangements” according to diplomatic conventions.
Watanabe assumed the position of Japan’s Prime Minister on October 21st. Earlier this week, she met with U.S. President Trump, who visited Tokyo for a three-day visit, further strengthening Japan-U.S. relations; on Thursday, she met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Gyeongju, South Korea. The two-day APEC summit opened in Gyeongju on Friday.
On Thursday, U.S. President Trump met with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, reaching consensus on a series of issues, agreeing to continue the truce in the trade war, and further negotiations.
Tensions still exist between China and Japan. In terms of national security and foreign policy issues, Watanabe is seen as a hawk in national security and a hardliner toward China. She has suggested that Japan could form a “quasi-security alliance” with Taiwan, stating that Taiwan cannot “become the second Hong Kong.” Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has welcomed her election.
Chinese state media described Watanabe’s security and foreign policy as “obviously hardline and conservative,” questioning Japan’s efforts to enhance its defense capabilities, including increasing defense budgets and relaxing restrictions on weapon exports.