The Japanese trade delegation plans to visit China in June, mobilizing an 89-year-old pro-China figure, making it difficult for China to refuse!

According to a report by Kyodo News on April 20, Japan is preparing to send a delegation from the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade, chaired by former House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kōno, to visit China from June 21 to 24, with coordination already underway.

Since Asahi Hayashi took office, economic exchanges between Japan and China have nearly come to a standstill. For five months, no significant economic delegation has managed to visit China. Yohei Kōno is now 89 years old. His background is particularly noteworthy: a well-known "China-friendly" figure within Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Murayama Cabinet, and in 1992 issued the "Kōno Statement" as Chief Cabinet Secretary, consistently advocating for friendly relations with China.

This January, after Hayashi's remarks on Taiwan worsened Sino-Japanese relations, Kōno publicly urged Hayashi to "correct his mistakes as soon as possible," stating outright that such statements were "a stumbling block in Japan-China relations." Sending such a senior, highly respected pro-China figure to lead this diplomatic mission clearly reveals the Japanese business community's intent—playing a card that China would find hard to refuse.

In my view, the timing of this visit is carefully chosen: June 21–24 coincides perfectly with the Supply Chain Promotion Expo scheduled for June 22–26. While officially attending the expo, the real aim is to use this opportunity to restart economic cooperation. Moreover, the delegation has raised specific demands: reaffirming the importance of Japan-China economic collaboration and urging China to improve its export controls on Japanese goods. This move is essentially driven by major Japanese firms like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Honda, who can no longer bear the current situation.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863130181577735/

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