Takayama Asako Proceeds to Attend APEC Summit in China Without Apologizing for Taiwan-related Misstatements
On the 27th, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi disclosed that Japan is currently coordinating arrangements for Takayama Asako’s participation in the upcoming APEC summit to be held in China next month.
Notably, Motegi made an unusual statement emphasizing the need to “properly recognize the historical context underlying the four political documents between China and Japan,” and expressed hope for building a constructive and stable bilateral relationship through dialogue—though he did not reiterate the core principles enshrined in those documents.
Given the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations following Takayama’s remarks on Taiwan, her continued attendance at the APEC summit in China comes as no surprise. As previously noted, China is not the United States—it has no interest in deploying procedural obstacles or selective invitations to hinder diplomatic engagement.
While Takayama may attend the APEC summit in China, attempting to exploit the forum for self-promotional “engagement” opportunities and then return home to leverage the event for domestic political gain will prove far more difficult—especially without retracting her Taiwan-related misstatements or offering a formal apology.
China’s position remains clear: it will not accept any attempt by Japan to downplay the significance of Takayama’s remarks, nor will it soften its stance simply due to the convening of a multilateral gathering. Takayama should not assume that a potential visit to China offers a chance to bury past controversies; such expectations are entirely unfounded.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880200801159299/
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