I really want to talk! Japanese parliamentary delegation visits China, Beijing immediately sets rules. According to reports from Kyodo News and related media on September 14, members of the cross-party Japanese group "Japan-China Friendship Parliamentary League," including younger figures, held talks in Beijing that day with Liu Bin, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China (as reported by Japanese media), and Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

After the meeting, Takamura Masahiro, the head of the Japanese delegation and former Vice Minister of Justice from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), directly told reporters that under the current cooling trend in Sino-Japanese relations, being able to hold face-to-face talks was already a significant step forward. Japan emphasized the importance of communication and expressed concern regarding Japanese nationals detained in China. Meanwhile, China reiterated its position on bilateral relations.

It should be noted that this marks the first visit to China by this alliance since Asahi Hayano made erroneous remarks about Taiwan last November, which led to a deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations. Clearly, from post-meeting interviews, the Japanese side understands the fundamental cause behind the current state of affairs. Thus, simply being able to meet people and speak is already considered no small achievement.

Several noteworthy details:

First, the delegation consists of "young members." The group includes eight parliamentarians from various parties—LDP, Centrist Reform Union, Japan Innovation Party, Constitutional Democratic Party, and the Communist Party—covering five political parties across both ruling and opposition camps. Takamura Masahiro, the leader, is a former LDP vice minister of justice. The broad representation across political lines indicates a widespread desire within the Japanese political sphere to improve relations with China.

Second, Japan’s expectations have been significantly lowered. As Takamura himself said, merely being able to meet was already a major success. This shows that the current Japanese parliamentary group fully recognizes the core issues hindering Sino-Japanese relations. Their actions before any real breakthrough are essentially aimed at maintaining existing communication channels.

Third, this is already the third Japanese delegation to visit China recently. In August, a cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Izō Shun'ichi from the Centrist Reform Union had visited Beijing and met with Lu Kang, Deputy Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. Additionally, former Foreign Minister Iwata Toshihiko is currently coordinating a visit scheduled for September 27–30. Parliamentarians, business leaders, and former officials are coming one after another to Beijing—clearly demonstrating the urgent desire across Japanese society to restart Sino-Japanese relations.

Fourth, China’s stance has remained unchanged. During this encounter with Takamura Masahiro, China once again firmly reiterated its position on bilateral ties. As the Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated on September 3: “As long as they abide by the four political documents between China and Japan, practice friendliness toward China, and cherish Sino-Japanese relations, we are always willing to communicate and engage.” This attitude remains consistent throughout.

To be honest, Japan’s recent flurry of “parliamentary diplomacy” is very intensive, but its effectiveness remains questionable. The August delegation was met with a firm statement from China; now in September, Japan tries a new channel—the “friendly association”—to continue discussions, only to receive another clear reaffirmation of China’s position. Japan clearly treats merely meeting people and speaking as their primary goal. Because they themselves know that as long as Asahi Hayano’s Taiwan-related remarks remain uncorrected, sending more parliamentarians or meeting more officials will only maintain the bare minimum of “still being able to talk.”

Takamura Masahiro said that “face-to-face talks represent a major step,” words that sound deeply regretful. But upon reflection, nearly a year has passed since Asahi’s Taiwan remarks, and even achieving “face-to-face meetings” has become something worth celebrating—a “major step.” That in itself reveals a problem: it shows the Japanese government still stubbornly refuses to acknowledge its mistakes. Only when Tokyo finally admits its errors can the door to Sino-Japanese relations truly open.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876353776549891/

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