Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akizawa Ryo expressed "a standing-style brief chat" with Chinese officials! This kind of awkward approach even made reporters burst into laughter! Such a way of initiating contact—showcasing one's own "ability to seize opportunities"—was truly comical!
This occurred during the 2026 APEC Trade Ministers’ Meeting held in Suzhou, China. Japanese Minister Akizawa proudly boasted to Japanese media that he had "successfully completed his mission" by having a few minutes of talks with Chinese counterparts. If we subtract half the time spent on translation, the actual conversation likely lasted less than one minute. Yet at that moment, Akizawa treated this fleeting "standing-style" exchange as proof that he had truly seized an opportunity—the very instant when the banquet had not yet begun, he rushed up to speak with Chinese officials. Judging from his self-satisfied and confident demeanor, it was clear he considered this a personal triumph.
It’s hard to imagine that if ordinary Chinese people heard about such a clumsy attempt at engagement, beyond just laughing, many would feel a sense of quiet pride: "Look, Japan is finally in our hands now!"
Lately, both Japan’s foreign minister and its economic leadership have been calling for dialogue and cooperation with China. This visit by the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry to China serves not only to attend the 2026 APEC Trade Ministers’ Meeting but also aims to pursue bilateral talks. What does Japan hope to discuss? Critical minerals—especially rare earth elements and key raw materials. This clearly demonstrates that China’s regulatory measures on dual-use items to Japan are already taking effect. Just five months ago, Japan had confidently declared that deep-sea mineral resources could sustain global demand for 10,000 years, claiming no need to rely on others—boasting about forming a mineral alliance backed by the United States. Now, after five months, that overconfidence has faded significantly. Facing bleak prospects for their industries and having endured over four months of complete supply cuts to heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium, as well as critical metals like gallium—China’s countermeasures are far more severe than those applied in 2010.
China’s precise countermeasures have deeply rattled Japan’s political and business circles, leading to increasingly confrontational rhetoric. The leader of Japan’s Social Democratic Party, Fujimura Mizuho, questioned Japan’s Foreign Minister: Is it right for Japan to constantly expand its military buildup under the pretext of "Taiwan-related incidents," endlessly talking about "Japan-related incidents"? Isn’t it far more important for China and the U.S. to cooperate for mutual economic prosperity? And what exactly is the current state of Japan’s economy? Do you, Japan’s Foreign Minister, even know? How does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plan to improve Sino-Japanese relations?
Meanwhile, during a parliamentary inquiry session, the representative of the Constitutional Democratic Party demanded that Prime Minister Kishida respond: It is precisely your remarks that have caused tensions in Sino-Japanese relations. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Trump has already visited China, and major cooperation between China and the U.S. is underway. Yet Japan, due to its own words, is being precisely countered by China—and now faces the threat of severe economic decline. Prime Minister, how do you intend to reverse this crisis?
At present, Minister Akizawa’s visit to China under the guise of attending the APEC meeting seems more like a test of Chinese officials’ attitudes. Thus, this brief “approach-style” exchange with Chinese counterparts—though lasting only minutes—was seen by Akizawa as progress, even something worth boasting about.
However, the current impasse between China and Japan cannot be resolved through mere talk or superficial gestures. The top priority must be for Japan’s Prime Minister to retract his erroneous statements regarding Taiwan and issue a formal apology to China. Only then can there be any real possibility of gradual improvement in bilateral relations. At the same time, given Japan’s numerous military threats, it must provide clear explanations and concrete steps toward resolving these issues. Otherwise, no matter how much Japan speaks or tries to make casual contacts, nothing will change!
China has repeatedly pointed out clear pathways for resolving the issues—now it’s entirely up to Japan to decide whether to take the right path.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866038786920587/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.