Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has suggested that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should resolve the issue stemming from her parliamentary remark regarding a possible Taiwan contingency, former Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Wednesday. Iwaya, who visited China last month, said in an interview that he and Wang confirmed the need to improve Japan-China relations in their meeting, and that the top diplomat said the Japanese leader should resolve the Taiwan remark issue. The member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said he explained to Wang that the Japanese government has made clear through subsequent parliamentary remarks and other statements by Takaichi that its policy on Taiwan has not changed.
He said he proposed that the two governments reaffirm the intent of the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique, which would amount to a “de facto withdrawal” of Takaichi’s remarks, explaining that an actual withdrawal faces a very high political hurdle. Even so, Wang rejected the proposal, saying an ambiguous approach was undesirable, Iwaya said, adding that the Beijing official cited a Chinese saying meaning that the person who caused a problem should be the one to resolve it. In their meeting, Iwaya also called on China to refrain from criticizing Japan’s efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities as “new militarism.” Although the Chinese foreign minister voiced the need to improve relations, Iwaya said in the interview that he felt China’s assessment of the Takaichi administration remained very harsh.
Meanwhile, Iwaya said that Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng indicated a strong desire to promote bilateral economic cooperation. The Japanese lawmaker said he called on Beijing to ensure appropriate controls on exports of critical minerals such as rare earths to Japan, to which He responded that China would restrict exports for military use but allow them for civilian purposes. The vice premier said the Chinese government was exploring better ways to manage exports.
Iwaya visited China from Sept. 27 to 30 in his capacity as chairman of Japan’s Association for the Promotion of International Trade, holding separate meetings in Beijing with Wang and He. Some have viewed the warm reception extended to Iwaya as an attempt by Beijing to sow division in Japan.
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