Wang Yi tells Japan to normalize ties after Takaichi Taiwan remarks — SkimNews
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- Wang Yi told former Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya on Sept 28 that Sino-Japanese relations face a severe situation and must be normalized, according to China's foreign ministry.
- Wang Yi urged Japan to correct the 'erroneous words and deeds' of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over her November parliamentary comments supporting US action in a Taiwan emergency.
- Wang Yi emphasized the need for Japan to learn from history, citing the 80th anniversary of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and referencing wartime aggression.
- Wang Yi praised late Japanese politician Yohei Kono for confronting Japan’s dark past, particularly his 1993 apology regarding 'comfort women,' saying it earned respect in China and Asia.
- Takeshi Iwaya, leading a 50-member delegation from the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade, expressed concern over current bilateral relations and pledged to uphold Kono’s legacy.
Why it matters: China is using historical memory and diplomatic pressure to demand Japan retract high-level statements on Taiwan, directly linking Tokyo’s security stance to the health of bilateral ties. With corporate executives in the delegation, economic engagement is now entangled with a geopolitical red line, raising stakes for Japanese trade diplomacy.
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