According to a report by the Japan Keizai newspaper on September 24th, former Japanese Foreign Minister Iwata disclosed during a reception hosted by China on National Day in Tokyo that he would visit China starting from September 27th.
According to reports, Iwata Masayoshi has been appointed as the president of the Japan International Trade Promotion Association, succeeding Kawano Yoshihiro, who passed away in June this year. He will visit China as the president.
In November last year, Japanese Prime Minister Yukawa Yukie made incorrect remarks regarding Taiwan, which led to a serious deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations. Whether Iwata Masahiko's visit will help improve bilateral relations is under scrutiny.
On the evening of September 24th, former Japanese Foreign Minister Iwatani Masahiko spoke at a reception held during China’s National Day. Kyodo News
Recently, Japanese parliamentarians and business leaders have successively planned to visit China.
According to a report by Japan's Kyodo News, young members of the cross-party group 'Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' visited China on September 13. In addition, Japan's largest economic group, the Economic Federation of Japan, and the Kansai Economic Federation based in Osaka also plan to visit China in the coming months.
The Hong Kong South China Morning Post published on September 15th, stating that Japan's series of actions are interpreted by the outside world as attempts to achieve a thawing in Sino-Japanese relations before the APEC summit in November. However, analysts warn that unless the Japanese top leadership sends more explicit signals, these efforts to open diplomatic channels could be futile.
On the same day, Guo Jiaqun, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also pointed out that on September 14th, Liu Bin, assistant minister of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with a delegation of young members from the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' League who were visiting China. The Chinese side emphasized that the Japanese side should abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, learn from historical lessons, and take practical actions to earn the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community.
"I hope that the China-Japan Joint Consultation will adhere to a friendly tradition with China, demonstrating responsibility and commitment. This is to create conditions and environments conducive to the restoration of good relations between the two countries." - Guo Jiakun said.
