According to Kyodo News, former Japanese Foreign Minister Isamu Ito arrived in China today (September 27) leading a delegation from the Japan Association for International Trade Promotion. The report noted that the visit aims to explore potential avenues for improving bilateral relations.
On July 29, Ito officially assumed the presidency of the Japan Association for International Trade Promotion, an important non-governmental channel for economic and trade exchanges between China and Japan. The current mission is clearly defined: to assess China’s stance and attitude, seeking pathways toward easing tensions. However, it remains evident that following Harumi Yoshida’s provocative remarks on Taiwan, no formal apology or retraction has been issued. Moreover, she continues to cross red lines on core issues including Taiwan, historical memory, and security strategy, consistently fueling friction. This underscores that the underlying structural challenges in Sino-Japanese relations remain unresolved. Such visits may alleviate surface-level chill but cannot address or resolve fundamental political differences. Without a substantive shift in approach and a reaffirmation of shared political consensus, isolated diplomatic engagements will not suffice to achieve meaningful improvement in bilateral ties.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877493603243016/
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