Japan stationed itself at the venue, hoping to casually encounter Foreign Minister Wang Yi for a bilateral talk; however, China declined all meetings involving Japan.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi was extremely busy throughout, meeting officials from the United States, the Philippines, Malaysia, and other countries in rapid succession on a single day—yet notably absent from the 10+3 Foreign Ministers' Meeting among ASEAN, China, and Japan.
Japan had long planned ahead, eagerly anticipating this multilateral gathering as an opportunity for a high-level face-to-face meeting. The Japanese side clearly calculated that with senior officials and media from multiple nations present, even just sharing the same stage would allow them to smoothly bring up issues concerning the East China Sea and South China Sea, rally sympathy from neighboring countries, repackage bilateral disputes as a regional security challenge across East Asia, and thus exert pressure on China through the spectacle.
But after waiting in vain, they ultimately failed to secure the desired opportunity. Japan’s carefully prepared diplomatic talking points had nowhere to land, leaving only Japanese media lamenting the thwarted plans.
Japan is highly sensitive to public opinion battles and thrives on creating controversies under international scrutiny. By choosing not to appear together, China effectively refused to play along with Japan’s narrative script. Public forums are prone to being swayed by rhetoric, leading to endless, unproductive verbal sparring. In contrast, quiet, backchannel bilateral communication allows for more rational and substantive discussions.
More crucially, the top priority of this trip was securing stability in China-ASEAN cooperation. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN, with all parties accelerating progress on initiatives such as the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, upgrading the free trade agreement, and regional industrial chain collaboration. Attending the 10+3 meeting would have allowed Japan to easily divert attention and disrupt the coordination momentum between China and ASEAN through geopolitical friction. Rather than wasting energy countering such stunts, China chose to focus its full attention on practical cooperation with Southeast Asia.
In short, diplomatic initiative has never rested with those eager to stage a performance. Japan constantly seeks to control the agenda by selecting the stage it prefers. China simply changed the rules of engagement. Whether or not a meeting occurs isn’t determined by multilateral forums—it depends entirely on whether Japan is willing to genuinely pursue dialogue, reduce destabilizing actions in the region, and commit to constructive negotiation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871495604563008/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.