China’s top diplomat raises concern over risk of ‘backsliding’ in ties by Japan

Wang Yi urges Tokyo to eradicate interference in relations between the two countries
In positive signs, the two militaries set up a hotline and the Japanese foreign minister is expected in Beijing

China-Japan relations

Laura Zhou

Published: 8:00pm, 1 Apr 2023

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China is concerned relations with Japan could go into reverse, with recent overtures failing to improve ties, according to Beijing’s top diplomat.

In a meeting with former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda in Beijing on Friday, Wang Yi, a Politburo member who leads the Communist Party’s general office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, also urged Japan to “eliminate interference from all sides”.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, “but today we have reason to be concerned about possible backsliding in Japan’s policy towards China and to question whether Japan continues to adhere to the direction of peaceful development,” Wang said.

“I hope that the Japanese side will remove interference from all sides, send a positive message that China-Japan relations are on a healthy development track and are revitalised, and create conditions for the full restart of post-pandemic interactions in all fields,” Wang said, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

In response, Fukuda, who served as Japan’s prime minister between 2007 and 2008 and was in China for the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan, said ties between China and Japan were “very important” and that the two sides should “maintain high-level contacts … enhance mutual understanding, eliminate misunderstandings and miscalculations”.

Already complicated by wartime history and territorial disputes in the East China Sea, relations between Beijing and Tokyo have been strained most recently by Japan’s growing alignment with the US’ containment strategy against China and Beijing’s stronger ties with Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine.

Tokyo went a step further on Friday, announcing plans to restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in line with similar restrictions imposed by Washington to curb China’s ability to produce advanced chips.

However, in what many say is an effort to stabilise bilateral ties, China and Japan also announced that “a direct hotline” had been set up between the two militaries.

In a brief statement, the Chinese defence ministry said the hotline would “effectively enrich the communication channels between the defence departments of China and Japan, strengthen the ability of both sides to control maritime and air crises, and help to further maintain regional peace and stability”.

China hopes Japanese foreign minister’s visit will help ‘manage differences’

In another positive sign, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is also expected to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, in Beijing on Sunday, the first in-person meeting between foreign ministers of the two countries since November 2020, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo.

Ahead of his two-day trip to China, Hayashi said he would “make clear” Japan’s position and have a “candid and in-depth” discussion with Qin on a wide range of issues, including China’s detention of an unnamed employee of the Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma for alleged espionage.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as growing tensions following the increasing patrols by the two countries at the Senkaku Islands – known as the Diaoyu Islands in China – would also be discussed, Kyodo reported, citing Japanese government officials.

Japan controls the islands, which are also claimed by China.

Hayashi’s trip was part of the agreement reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a summit in Bangkok in November last year.

The trip was originally scheduled for December but has been postponed at least twice.