A Japanese delegation from a trade promotion body led by former Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya made a visit to China on Sunday, seeking to help break the deadlock in bilateral ties amid a diplomatic row.
The roughly 50-member delegation, including Japanese corporate executives, is exploring the possibility of meeting with senior Chinese officials during their stay.
“It’s important to find a way to improve through dialogue especially when Sino-Japanese ties are facing a difficult time,” Iwaya told reporters before leaving Tokyo’s Haneda airport for Beijing.
Bilateral ties between Japan and China have worsened since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament last November that an attack on Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing, could trigger a response by the Japanese defense forces.
Iwaya said he wants to “exchange views frankly” if he can meet with Chinese leaders. He assumed the top post of the group, formally called the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, in July.
The visit comes shortly after a summit in Washington between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. The leaders discussed a range of topics including trade and artificial intelligence, with Trump referencing their past as “allies in World War II.”
The Japanese delegation’s trip was postponed from June following the death of former Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, who previously headed the trade promotion organization.
