Japan’s diplomacy with China takes a sharp turn and Kishida seeks changes to follow the pace of the United States | Anue Juheng-Mainland Politics and Economics

Bilateral interactions during the informal meetings of APEC leaders have always been the focus of attention from the outside world. After US President Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leaders of China and Japan also had face-to-face interactions during the meeting.

“Asia Weekly” pointed out that the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. The autumn wind rustles the maple leaves and turns red, changing the political and diplomatic colors of China, the United States and Japan. With the meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States in San Francisco, Sino-US relations have thawed, and Japan’s diplomacy with China has also taken a sharp turn.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strives to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco and sends Special Cabinet Advisor Takeo Akiba to China for an emergency visit for consultations. Sakutaro Tanino, a veteran of Japan’s China Knowledge Group and former ambassador to China, also flew to Beijing to support the Japanese language competition of Chinese youths and strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The newly appointed Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa made it clear at the 45th anniversary reception of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in Tokyo at the end of October: “Creating a new situation in Japan-China relations is one of the most important missions of Japanese diplomacy.”

“Asia Weekly” pointed out that Japan had grasped the changing trends in Sino-US relations as early as October this year before Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the United States and held talks with US Secretary of State Blinken to discuss the implementation of the talks between the two leaders. In order to follow the pace of the United States and turn passivity into initiative, Japan continues to extend an olive branch to China and convey its willingness to improve Japan-China relations.

According to The Paper, Chinese diplomatic commentators said that at the historical juncture of Sino-Japanese relations, Xi Jinping’s meeting with Fumio Kishida in San Francisco was very timely and crucial, preventing the rapid decline of relations between the two countries and playing a positive role in stabilizing Sino-Japanese relations. .

The diplomatic commentator said that there were two important developments in this meeting. The first was to reaffirm the comprehensive promotion of strategic mutually beneficial relations, and the second was that the two sides confirmed that they would discuss the issue of nuclear wastewater discharge into the sea in a constructive manner.

The diplomatic commentator pointed out that China and Japan have reaffirmed the comprehensive promotion of strategic mutually beneficial relations, which is of very positive significance under the new situation. Some people in Japan regard China as the biggest systemic challenge, so the positioning of a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship at least confirms that they are mutual partners of strategic significance.

Regarding the discharge of nuclear wastewater into the sea, the above-mentioned diplomatic commentators said that China has demonstrated its solemn position, but it is also very reasonable and reasonable, leaving room for negotiation between the two sides.

However, China and Japan still have some structural differences, including Japan’s overall strategic understanding of China, as well as issues in the East China Sea, Diaoyu Islands, and Taiwan.