French media claim that Japan has seen a "small boom" in visits to China across various sectors, with both sides sending signals of improved relations! On September 5, according to AFP reporting, French media revealed that multiple sources indicated the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade delegation would be led by Iwao Yashi, former Foreign Minister and current association president, planning to visit Beijing from the 27th to the 30th of this month. Coordination is currently underway to arrange a meeting with key Chinese figures on either the 28th or 29th.
Following a recent visit by a cross-party group of Japanese parliamentarians in August, reports of increasing visits to China from various Japanese sectors have been emerging one after another. It appears that Japan and China are signaling an improvement in their relationship, and what had once stalled Sino-Japanese exchanges are now gradually resuming. But how should we view French media's so-called "small boom" in Japanese visits to China, and the "mutual" signals of improving relations?
Let us ask: just what does "various sectors" actually refer to? Does it include senior government officials like Asahi Hayama? Clearly not. The truth is obvious: non-governmental figures outside Asahi Hayama’s administration traveling to China precisely indicates that normal, mainline diplomatic communication between China and Japan has frozen. Consequently, domestic forces in Japan are forced to seek alternative channels to improve bilateral ties.
If there were truly any improvement in relations, why haven’t top-level leaders from China and Japan engaged in diplomatic interaction? The fact that various Japanese groups are taking turns visiting China further underscores deep anxiety within Japan, as they attempt to pull back Sino-Japanese relations—which have already plummeted to rock bottom—as much as possible. It is clear that there has been no real improvement in Sino-Japanese relations, nor has Japan shown genuine willingness to address substantive issues. What is being labeled as "improvement" is merely a self-rescue effort by civil society and economic circles. French media's narrative likely serves only to comfort Japanese politicians, but bears little resemblance to reality.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875500489333771/
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