Japan said on Wednesday that talks between the foreign ministers of China and Japan in Beijing paved the way for Japan to host China’s foreign affairs chief next year and reached a mutual agreement to hold security talks as soon as possible. Is.
No details were given on when the events would take place, but Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya told reporters after his meeting and lunch with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the two agreed to continue high-level talks, including The 2025 visit also includes possible economic talks.
Iwaya’s one-day visit to the Chinese capital is the first since becoming Japan’s foreign minister in October to discuss complex issues with his country’s largest trading partner.
It follows an agreement between the leaders of the two countries to work towards a mutually beneficial strategic relationship.
Relations between the neighbors – trading partners with close economic and investment ties but rivals in security and territorial claims – are complicated by long-standing geopolitical disagreements and historic wartime sensitivities.
Iwaya raised several security concerns, encouraging China to take “necessary actions”, including removing buoys identified and believed to be by China installed in the exclusive economic zone near one of Japan’s southernmost islands. also includes.
“I also expressed my grave concern about the situation in the East China Sea…and the increasing activity of the Chinese military,” he said.
On regional concerns, Wang and Iwaya discussed North Korea.
Iwaya called for China to play “a responsible role in maintaining peace and security in the international community,” he said.
Japan has expressed “serious concern” over North Korea’s security alliance with Russia, in which North Korea seeks to acquire advanced military technology and combat experience.
Wang stressed at the meeting that the importance of the countries’ relations goes beyond bilateral relations.
“If China-Japan relations are stable, Asia will be more stable,” Wang said at the beginning of their meeting.
Visa rules and restrictions on seafood
In response to China’s eased visa rules, Japan will lift some requirements for three-year multiple-entry tourist visas for Chinese citizens and allow those on group visas to stay for up to 30 days, up from the previous 15 days. .
The country has also introduced a new 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa.
Last month, Beijing extended its visa-free arrangement to include Japan until the end of 2025, restoring a policy that was suspended during the pandemic.
China also increased the period of stay from 15 to 30 days. Japanese citizens could enter China without a visa for up to 14 days before COVID-19.
Iweya explained that it was important to address the safety of Japanese citizens in order to increase travel between Japan and China.
Cases of Japanese citizens detained under China’s anti-espionage law and the lack of transparency surrounding the law are making Japanese people hesitant to travel to China, Iwaya said, calling for more transparency and transparency around the detained people. Called for the release of.
Their discussion of China’s ban on Japanese seafood, which was highly expected on the agenda, did not indicate any easing of sanctions, but only said that both sides agreed to “properly implement” the recent agreement. Happened.
A major sticking point in bilateral relations is the discharge of treated radioactive waste water from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, which Beijing strongly protested and responded to by tightening inspections on Japanese goods.
China was Japan’s largest export market for aquatic products until Beijing banned them altogether in protest of Tokyo’s actions.
The two governments reached an agreement in September that obliges Japan to set up a long-term international monitoring arrangement, allowing stakeholders such as China to conduct independent sampling of treated water.
This was expected to restart imports but China still wants assurances from Tokyo that it will fulfill its commitment before “adjusting relevant measures” and gradually restoring imports that meet standards and regulations.
However, both countries were ready to resume negotiations on resuming imports of Japanese beef and rice.