China-Japan seek to end deadlock in bilateral ties

Top Chinese and Japanese officials continue bilateral exchanges with two sides seeking to end the “deadlock” in bilateral ties.

The high-level change between Beijing and Tokyo comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for a summit in the US last week.

However, Beijing has reiterated its demand for independent monitoring of release of nuclear waste from Japan’s crippled Fukushima power plant.

It came during a meeting in Beijing between China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the leader of Japan’s Komeito party, Natsuo Yamaguchi, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Nuclear waste

Tokyo’s decision to release the treated nuclear waste in September triggered a blanket ban by China on imports of seafood from Japan.

For past two days, Yamaguchi has been lobbying with top Chinese officials to end the ban as the trip to Beijing by the Japanese government’s junior part ner leader is seen as a move to stabilise the bilateral relations.

Yamaguchi on Wednesday delivered to Beijing Kishida’s personal letter addressed to Xi.

The letter was handed over to the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) official, Cai Qi when the two sides met in Beijing.

Cai is member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee – China’s highest echelon of power – and secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

Yamaguchi explained to Cai “about the Fukushima plant’s wastewater, emphasising it undergoes science-based and transparent monitoring and seeking Beijing’s understanding.”

“I have conveyed (to the Chinese side) the Japanese public’s concern over the import ban and called for exchanges of views to settle the matter,” Yamaguchi told after meeting Cai in the Chinese capital.

In view of China heading the UN Security Council this month, Yamaguchi urged Beijing to address North Korea’s missile development.

Detention of Japanese nationals

On detention of Japanese nationals in China for alleged espionage, the Komeito party chief said: “Lack of transparency surrounding their detentions has deterred bilateral personnel exchanges.”

The two sides also discussed resumption of party-level dialogue between the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition and the CPC which was last held in 2018.

Cai said that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Peace and Friendship Treaty between Japan and China.

As Cai recalled the meeting between Xi and Kishida in the US last week, he said the governing parties of both the countries “should implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, accurately grasp each other’s development and strategic intentions.”

He said the two sides should “promote the shaping of positive and friendly mutual perceptions, and jointly work towards building China-Japan relations that meet the requirements of the new era.”

Wang also hailed the Xi-Kishida meeting in San Francisco, saying it was a direction toward “resolving a deadlock” and “realizing the healthy and stable development” of the bilateral relations.

In his meeting with Yamaguchi, Liu Jianchao, minister of international department of the CPC Central Committee, said that the Xi-Kishida meeting marked resumption of high-level offline exchanges between the governing parties of both countries after a gap of four years.

“This holds special significance. Currently, China-Japan relations are at a moment for improvement, and both sides need to seize this opportunity,” Liu said.