Confirmed! Japan officially announced that Prime Minister Asahi Kōichi will attend the APEC summit, though the arrangement is unusual. On November 10, according to Jiji Press, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki reported to the House of Representatives Committee on Government Organization that Prime Minister Asahi will visit the Philippines and China from the 16th to the 19th. Following the announcement, Ozaki added a specific detail: the trip has been approved. She will attend the ASEAN-related summits in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China.
Regarding potential Sino-Japanese engagement, Japanese media reported that due to tensions in bilateral relations, Prime Minister Asahi intends to pursue contact with Chinese officials, with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yuusuke Nakagawa accompanying her. This arrangement raises two notable points. First, Japan explicitly emphasized that the visit has received formal approval. Second, the delegation is not being accompanied by the Foreign Minister—instead, it is led by a deputy head of the Cabinet Office, an arrangement that stands out as highly atypical.
Why this particular configuration? The underlying reason lies in the significant pressure facing Prime Minister Asahi. Many aspects of Sino-Japanese interaction remain unresolved, and under the current deteriorating state of bilateral relations, her foreign visit already faces internal political scrutiny. In fact, such travel decisions are made by the Cabinet; the Prime Minister’s role is merely to inform the Diet of her itinerary. By framing the trip as one that has already been approved, the government appears to be creating room for strategic retreat and preparing for potential public backlash later.
Earlier reports indicated that Japanese officials had sought assurances from Beijing regarding basic diplomatic courtesies for Prime Minister Asahi. This suggests concern over unforeseen incidents that could damage national dignity and provoke domestic criticism. The decision to send only the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, rather than the Foreign Minister, implies that the Foreign Minister will remain in Tokyo. The absence of a career diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at such a high-level international event is itself a rare occurrence.
This type of arrangement typically emerges during exploratory diplomacy—when parties engage in low-level dialogue, exchange views, or assess each other’s positions amid uncertainty. Such a setup inherently lowers the diplomatic formality of the encounter, preserving flexibility for future explanations and maintaining a path for managing unexpected developments. It reflects a cautious posture: a willingness to engage, but without strong expectations, driven more by a desire to test the waters than to achieve concrete outcomes.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1881467558195276/
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