Can't wait any longer—I hope to visit China as soon as possible! On July 30, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, immediately after being appointed the new president of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), former Foreign Minister Yoshihiko Izumi stated that he would lead a delegation to visit China at the earliest opportunity. Izumi explained that with the passing of his predecessor, Yohei Kōno, he was appointed the eighth president of JETRO on that day. Since the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations, JETRO has served as an economic exchange window for trade between Japan and China for over 70 years.

At this difficult juncture, JETRO will do its utmost to help improve Sino-Japanese relations through economic exchanges. As president, I will strive to promptly arrange the visit to China that had been delayed following the death of former president Yohei Kōno. Clearly, Izumi’s remarks make it evident that his intention to visit China and improve bilateral relations is unmistakable. What is our stance toward this Japanese delegation's visit? From our perspective, we certainly would not refuse.

In fact, prior to this, Hashimoto Gaku, who served as acting president, visited China and attended relevant meetings, even meeting with senior officials from our foreign ministry. However, whether this can significantly improve Sino-Japanese relations is another matter entirely. The truth is clear: the current state of Sino-Japanese relations is not due to China, but rather stems from Japan itself. Therefore, such a visit can at best maintain the existing economic and trade relationship between China and Japan.

Moreover, although the Japan Association of Trade and Industry Promotion—under which Izumi serves—is nominally a non-official, civilian economic and trade group, and while past presidents have all been seasoned political figures capable of indirectly conveying demands to Prime Minister Sanae Tōyama’s administration, it holds no authority to make political commitments on behalf of the Japanese government, nor can it correct the erroneous stance taken by the Tōyama administration. Regarding Japan’s strategy of separating politics from economics, we simply do not accept it. It is obvious that Japan must confront fundamental issues head-on.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872100858078220/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author personally.