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The Yomiuri Shimbun Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, talks with LDP General Council Chairperson Hiroshi Moriyama at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday.
By Koichiro Shigematsu and Keiichiro Azuma / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
20:00 JST, July 23, 2024
BEIJING — Hiroshi Moriyama, chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party’s General Council, held a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday.
It is likely the two confirmed that Japan and China will make progress in the “mutually beneficial strategic relationship” in which both countries pursue their respective national interests.
At the beginning of the talks, Moriyama said, “Today’s Japan-China relationship is not necessarily ideal. To make the Japan-China relationship truly constructive and stable, the embodiment of the mutually beneficial strategic relationship is important.”
He added, “It is also important to show clear progress in various affairs and simultaneously produce results in fields in which we cooperate.”
Wang said, “Mr. Moriyama knows that it is important for China and Japan to strengthen bilateral exchanges.”
It was the first visit to China by one of the LDP’s top three officials since April 2019, when then LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai visited the country.
The goal of Moriyama’s visit was to indirectly support the Japanese government’s diplomacy which aims to restore a good relationship with China.
Lawmakers’ exchanges increasing
Moriyama met with Liu Jianchao, minister of the International Department of the CCP in Beijing on Monday.
Moriyama and Liu, who is in charge of the CCP’s diplomatic activities, held talks for about an hour.
The aim of Moriyama’s visit was to pave the way for the revitalization of diplomatic activities between the two countries’ lawmakers.
During the talks, Moriyama said, “It is also important to show clear progress in various affairs and simultaneously produce results in fields in which we cooperate.”
Liu presented a view that China will resume meetings of the Japan-China Ruling Party Exchange Council, in which senior members of the LDP, Komeito and the CCP hold talks, by the end of this year.
Liu added, “We always have to pour positive energy into our countries’ bilateral ties.”
Since the start of July, diplomatic activities by Japanese and Chinese lawmakers have been increasingly active.
On July 17, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Keizo Takemi held talks with Yin Li, secretary of Beijing Municipal Party Committee, the top official of the city and a member of the CCP Political Bureau.
As China is struggling with a prolonged economic slump, Chinese officials place importance on dialogue with Japan partly because of expectations about investments.
Regarding visits to China by Moriyama and other Japanese lawmakers, Lin Jian, a deputy director general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Press, Communication and Public Diplomacy, said, “Through the promotion of exchanges, we want to improve the China-Japan relationship.”
