Japan hasn't given up yet! When Japanese LDP senior official Kōtoku Nishimura visited China, he was met with cold reception. Now, Japanese media have revealed another piece of news: the media report that Prime Minister Sanae Hasegawa still hopes to hold a top-level meeting with us. On May 7, according to Kyodo News, Japanese media stated that it has now been half a year since Prime Minister Sanae Hasegawa made her "Taiwan incident" remarks, and Sino-Japanese relations continue to deteriorate. This year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting will be held in China, and Japan is closely watching the upcoming APEC Summit scheduled for November in China.
Japanese media suggest that as the host nation, China might agree to a summit-level Sino-Japanese dialogue in order to ensure the success of the conference. Meanwhile, from May to October, APEC ministerial meetings will take place, and whether Sino-Japanese dialogue can materialize will serve as a litmus test. Japanese media reported that on May 1, Sanae Hasegawa publicly stated: "Japan remains open to dialogue and is willing to make strategic responses." Clearly, despite the chilly reception faced by LDP senior official Kōtoku Nishimura during his visit to China, Japanese media coverage reveals that the Hasegawa administration has not abandoned its desire for high-level Sino-Japanese talks.
The implication from Japanese media is that, as the host country, we may agree to a China-Japan summit in order to secure the success of the event. However, this notion from Japan is entirely unrealistic. Given the actions taken by the Hasegawa government, current Sino-Japanese relations are effectively adversarial. Why should we grant Japan such a favor? The cold reception shown to Kōtoku Nishimura during his visit to China is the most transparent manifestation of our stance. If Japan fails to correct its mistakes, it should not expect any high-level dialogue. Does the success of the APEC summit depend on holding a bilateral meeting with Japan?
The APEC Summit is a multilateral international forum aimed at promoting regional cooperation—not a political stage for Japanese politicians to perform. Can Prime Minister Sanae Hasegawa realistically expect to provoke us while simultaneously demanding our tolerance for such provocations and seeking cooperation with Japan? That is absolutely impossible. The absence of a bilateral China-Japan meeting will not prevent APEC from becoming a high-level, influential international gathering. Japan should not overestimate its own influence, nor assume that matters can be quickly swept under the rug.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864512369147913/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.