Japan’s Foreign Minister meets China’s Premier; Iwaya, Li Agree To Foster Further Dialogue

By Kenta Kamimura and Keiichiro Azuma / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

17:51 JST, December 25, 2024

BEIJING — Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday morning. In their 40-minute talk, the two were believed to have agreed to work toward active bilateral communications in a wide range of fields and to make efforts to achieve mutual visits at various levels.

It was the first visit to China by a Japanese foreign minister since then Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi visited in April 2023.

Iwaya said at the beginning of the talks: “Both Japan and China share important responsibilities for the region and the world. I would work to build a Japan-China relationship that can fulfill these responsibilities.”

He also emphasized his intention to promote a “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests,” in which the two countries pursue their mutual interests.

Li said that he would work to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries and promote the sustainable and healthy development of bilateral relations.

A spate of incidents involving Japanese nationals occurred in China recently, including one in which a Japanese schoolboy was fatally stabbed in September and others in which Japanese nationals were detained. Iwaya was believed to have requested of Li that the Chinese government ensure the safety of Japanese nationals living in China.

Li, meanwhile, was believed to have called for cooperation in the economic field. With its domestic economy in a slump, China aims to attract investment from Japan.

The administration of President Xi Jinping is rushing to stabilize relations with neighboring countries ahead of the January inauguration of the administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has a hardline stance against China, including raising tariffs.

Iwaya also met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the same day and protested about the discovery of a buoy that is believed to have been newly installed by China within Japan’s exclusive economic zone south of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture.

Iwaya told reporters after the meeting that he told Wang that it could only have a negative impact on Japan-China relations.

At the meeting, Iwaya conveyed serious concerns about the situation in the East China Sea, including China’s activities around the Senkaku Islands, the increasing activity of the Chinese military and unilateral resource development by China in waters near Japan. He also called for the early removal of import restrictions on Japanese marine products and cooperation in ensuring the safety of Japanese residents in China.

Iwaya and Wang agreed that Wang would visit Japan early next year to hold a “Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue.”