China-Japan relations at "moment for improvement," says senior Chinese diplomat
Signs of stabilization after Xi-Kishida summit last week in San Francisco
Signs of stabilization in China-Japan ties have emerged after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio met in San Francisco last week.
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the two leaders’ meeting marked "the resumption of high-level offline exchanges between the governing parties of both countries after a gap of 4 years. This holds special significance. Currently, China-Japan relations are at a moment for improvement, and both sides need to seize this opportunity and implement the important consensus reached by General Secretary Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and promote China-Japan relations to truly return to a track of healthy and stable development. In recent years, China-Japan relations have encountered some issues, but the fundamental driving force for the development of relations between the two countries has not disappeared.”
Liu made the remarks while meeting Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Japan’s Komeito party and member of parliament, in Beijing.
Cai Qi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, China’s highest echelon of power, said in a separate meeting on Wednesday with Natsuo Yamaguchi that “this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. General Secretary Xi Jinping recently held a meeting with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, reaffirming once again the positioning of the two countries in fully advancing their strategic mutually beneficial relationship, providing clear direction for both China and Japan. The governing parties of both countries should implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, accurately grasp each other's development and strategic intentions, promote the shaping of positive and friendly mutual perceptions, and jointly work towards building China-Japan relations that meet the requirements of the New Era.”
Natsuo Yamaguchi had planned to visit China from Aug. 28-30. He postponed his trip at China's request shortly before the planned visit, his party said at the time. The postponement came after China reacted strongly to Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
China was denouncing Japan’s release of “nuclear-contaminated water” and suspended imports of Japanese seafood, after months of condemnations. Japan maintain - that the discharged water is safe. The International Atomic Energy Agency found Japan’s plans to release the treated water into the sea consistent with international safety standards.
On Thursday last week, on the sidelines of the APEC meetings in San Francisco, Xi and Kishida “agreed to find a proper way to resolve the issue of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima power plant through consultations and negotiations in a constructive manner,” according to China’s official readout of the meeting.
Liu, on Wednesday, said China hopes that the Japanese side will handle major sensitive issues and public concerns such as Taiwan and the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima's nuclear plant into the sea in a proper manner to help remove obstacles to the improvement and development of China-Japan relations and contribute jointly to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.
The Chinese readout of the two top leaders’ meeting added that
During their meeting here in the afternoon, the two leaders reiterated their commitment to the principles and consensus stipulated in the four political documents between the two countries, and agreed to dedicate themselves to jointly building a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the demands of the new era.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which established the general direction of China-Japan peace, friendship, and cooperation in legal form and became a milestone in the history of bilateral relations, Xi said as he met Kishida on the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting.
Over the past 45 years, under the guidance of the four political documents between China and Japan, including the Treaty, bilateral relations have maintained a momentum of development through thick and thin, bringing benefits to the two peoples and playing a positive role in regional peace, development and prosperity, said the Chinese president.
The current international landscapes are turbulent, with risks and challenges emerging in an endless stream, Xi noted, stressing that peaceful coexistence, lasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common development between China and Japan serve the fundamental interests of the two peoples.
At present, the China-Japan relationship is at a critical juncture, Xi said. The two sides should, in the spirit of learning from history to create a bright future, follow the trend of the times and keep to the right direction, stay true to the original aspiration when normalizing diplomatic relations in 1972.
The two sides should view each other's development with objectivity and rationality, foster positive and friendly mutual cognition, manage differences in a constructive manner, and translate the political consensus that the two countries are cooperative partners, not a threat to each other into specific policies and concrete actions, Xi said.
Xi stressed that major issues of principle related to history and Taiwan bear on the political foundation of China-Japan relations, and he urged Japan to honor its pledges and make sure that the foundation of bilateral relations will not be damaged or shaken.
The economic interests of China and Japan, as well as their industrial and supply chains, are deeply intertwined, and it is in no one's interest to engage in "small yard, high fence" practices and "decoupling and supply-chain disruption," Xi said.
China is promoting high-quality development and high-level opening-up, which will bring unprecedented opportunities to countries around the world, including Japan, Xi said, urging both sides to deepen cooperation, help each other succeed, earnestly safeguard the global free trade system, and achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results.
The two countries should take a higher perspective and adopt a broader vision, promote the Asian values of peace, cooperation, inclusiveness, and integration, practice genuine multilateralism, promote open regionalism, advance regional integration, and jointly address global challenges, said the Chinese president.
The two sides spoke highly of the newly established dialogue mechanism on export controls, agreed to maintain dialogue and communication at various levels, and hold at an appropriate time a new round of China-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue as well as a meeting of high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people exchanges.
They will maintain communication and coordination on international and regional affairs, and jointly cope with global challenges such as climate change.
Which includes
(5) Improve Relations with Japan and South Korea, Maintain Smooth Operation of the China-Japan-Korea Trilateral Cooperation Mechanism, and Accelerate the Negotiations for the China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Area.
Maintaining stable bilateral relations and strengthening trilateral dialogue and cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea are crucial for regional peace, stability, and advancing the process of economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region.
In the future, efforts should be made to restart the trilateral cooperation mechanism at an early date, progressing from high-level official consultations to ministerial talks and even leaders meetings.