On the evening of the 17th, Prime Minister Kishida, who is visiting Southeast Asia, will hold a Japan-China summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time in about three years.
While directly conveying Japan's views on issues such as the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, I would like to show a willingness to work together on common issues, such as climate change countermeasures, in order to find ways to rebuild relations.
Prime Minister Kishida completed a series of events in Bali, Indonesia, including the G20 Summit, a summit meeting of 20 major countries. Move to Bangkok.
Then, on the evening of the 17th, I will be holding a Japan-China summit meeting with President Xi Jinping of China for the first time in about three years.
Prior to the meeting, Prime Minister Kishida said on the 16th, "While there are various possibilities for Japan-China relations, there are also challenges and concerns. I would like to make this meeting a starting point for advancing dialogue."
Given that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, Prime Minister Kishida aims to build a constructive and stable relationship while continuing dialogue with China.
For this reason, China plans to directly convey Japan's claims and ask for a positive response regarding China's repeated intrusions into territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture and its increasing military pressure on Taiwan. .
On the other hand, I would like to find a way to rebuild the Japan-China relationship, which continues to be in a difficult situation, by demonstrating a willingness to cooperate in tackling common issues between the two countries, such as climate change countermeasures.
President Xi emphasizes the relationship with Japan, but is China's position on Taiwan strongly asserted?
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to emphasize China's position that it will not tolerate any involvement in Taiwan, while showing a stance of emphasizing its relationship with Japan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping entered an unusual third term as party leader at the Communist Party Congress last month. I also exchanged messages with Prime Minister Kishida.
"I attach great importance to the development of bilateral relations, and I would like to take the lead in building a relationship that meets the demands of the new era," Xi said.
In China, the economic recovery has been delayed due to the effects of the "zero corona" policy, which entails severe restrictions on movement, etc., and at this meeting, President Xi emphasized the relationship between the two countries in an attempt to attract investment from Japan. It seems.
China's foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a press conference on the 16th that this meeting was of great significance, and said, "We will work together to properly manage differences of opinion and build bilateral relations in a new era. We should do our best," he said, expressing his expectations.
On the other hand, China regards Taiwan as a “core interest” from which it cannot yield even one step, and President Xi has indicated that he will not hesitate to use force for unification. It appears to be a strong assertion of China's position that it does not tolerate any involvement.