Japanese delegation seeks to soothe strained ties with China

What the report says

A cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers has travelled to Beijing in an effort to ease a sharp diplomatic rift with China, according to Al Jazeera. The delegation arrived on Monday and is scheduled to remain through Thursday for talks focused on restoring communication after relations deteriorated late last year.

The dispute stems from remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan, which Beijing views as a core sovereignty issue. Al Jazeera reports that Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan. China then warned its citizens against travel to Japan and introduced tighter trade measures, including steps that reportedly affected rare earth supplies to Japanese firms, adding economic pressure to the political standoff.

Among those in Beijing is Gaku Hashimoto of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, along with lawmakers from opposition parties. Delegation member Shinichi Isa said before departure that communication between the two sides had broken down and that the group hoped to find a path back to dialogue. He also described the current situation as the worst since ties were normalized in 1972.

China’s foreign ministry said senior figures from Japan’s ruling and opposition parties were concerned about the relationship and wanted to help put it back on track. Further contacts are planned, including a possible visit by former Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya in late September and a later trip by Japanese business representatives.