On his first visit to China since taking over as Japan’s foreign minister in October, Foreign Minister Iwaya told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Tokyo was “closely monitoring the Taiwan situation and developments in Taiwan”. recent military incidents,” according to AFP citing a notice from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo on November 11, 2024
During his meeting with Mr. Wang in Beijing, Mr. Iwaya also “expressed serious concerns about the situation in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands and China’s increasing military activity”, according to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. China calls the Senkaku Islands Diaoyu.
In addition, Mr. Iwaya also called for the “quick release” of Japanese citizens detained by Chinese authorities. “The ambiguity surrounding anti-espionage laws is making Japanese people think twice before visiting China,” Mr. Iwaya warned.
On the other hand, the two foreign ministers agreed to make efforts for Mr. Wang to visit Japan “at the earliest possible time next year”, according to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the meeting between Mr. Wang and Mr. Iwaya in Japan would take place “at an appropriate time,” making no mention of discussions about Beijing’s military operations. or the detention of Japanese citizens.
Previously, Mr. Iwaya met with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and agreed to build a “constructive and stable” relationship, according to Kyodo News.
Noting that China-Japan relations are at an important stage of improvement and development, Mr. Li emphasized that China is ready to cooperate with Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. be, promoting the sustainable and healthy development of bilateral relations, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Mr. Li emphasized that China and Japan are close neighbors that cannot be separated from each other and that the two countries have committed to becoming cooperative partners instead of threatening each other.
China and Japan are each other’s main trading partners, but rising tensions over disputed territories and military spending have frayed the relationship in recent years, according to AFP.
