BEIJING – A high-level Japanese diplomat is traveling too China this week as tensions escalate following controversial remarks by a Japanese cabinet minister regarding Taiwan, signaling a concerted effort to de-escalate a rapidly cooling bilateral relationship.
Kanai Masaaki,Director-General of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau,is scheduled to arrive in China on Monday for meetings with senior Chinese foreign ministry officials.the visit comes after both nations summoned each other’s ambassadors to protest, and Beijing issued a warning to its citizens advising them to avoid travel to Japan, underscoring the severity of the current diplomatic strain.
The immediate catalyst for the dispute was a statement made by Prime minister Takaichi Sanae concerning a potential emergency involving Taiwan. Japanese officials will use the visit to clarify that the remarks did not represent a departure from Japan’s longstanding policy on Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by China.
Kanai is expected to meet with Liu Jinsong, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and other officials. A key objective of the trip is to persuade China to prevent disagreements from disrupting peopel-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Japan also intends to formally protest a social media post made by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka, which was perceived as a provocative response to takaichi’s Taiwan comments. The post has drawn criticism from across the Japanese political spectrum, with some lawmakers calling for the consul-general’s expulsion as a “persona non grata.”
Kanai will reportedly urge Chinese authorities to take appropriate action regarding the consul-general’s conduct. The Japanese government is closely monitoring China’s response and hopes that continued dialog at the senior official level will help prevent further escalation of tensions.
Beijing recently advised its citizens to avoid travel to Japan,a move widely seen as retaliatory. The diplomatic friction highlights the delicate balance in Sino-Japanese relations, which are frequently enough complex by historical grievances and competing geopolitical interests.
The Japanese government intends to watch China’s moves thru exchanges between senior foreign ministry officials in the hope of preventing tensions from escalating.
