The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
China eases criticism of Japan
BEIJING — At the 50th anniversary milestone, the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping appears to have so ened its aggressive stance toward Japan, which has strengthened ties with the United States against China over the Taiwan issue.
A er a visit to Taiwan in August by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, China unilaterally canceled a foreign ministerial meeting with Japan. e mood in China had been critical of Japan’s stance on the Taiwan issue, rather than being celebrative of the 50th anniversary.
But in September, Beijing hosted a series of commemorative events to mark the milestone. As if re ecting the administration’s intentions, direct criticism of Japan, including over the Taiwan issue, was subdued in messages sent by former State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan — whose position is equivalent to deputy prime minister — and others for a Chinese-sponsored memorial event in Beijing.
Xi’s congratulatory message to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on ursday was the
rst sent by a Chinese president to mark an anniversary of diplomatic ties. In the past, it was Chinese premiers who exchanged congratulatory messages with Japanese prime ministers every ve years. Most recently, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Premier Li Keqiang exchanged congratulations in 2017.
Some in Japan’s Foreign Ministry believe that the Chinese side has “upgraded” their exchange to show consideration for the milestone. Xi’s message referred back to the two countries’ 1972 joint statement, in which China reiterated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory, and Japan said it understood and respected China’s position.
In the upcoming National Party Congress this month, Xi aims for an unprecedented third term as China’s leader. Ahead of this crucial political event, Xi appears intent on calming relations with neighboring Japan and keeping the Taiwan issue from becoming too much of a focus.
In part, the move is also aimed at persuading Japanese companies to stay in China amid uncertainty over the country’s economic outlook due to China’s zero-COVID policy. In addition, it is seen as an attempt to drive a wedge between Japan and the United States, which together are leading players in security cooperation in the Indo-Paci c region.
At the same time, however, National People’s Congress o cial Ding Zhongli, who attended a commemorative event in Beijing on
ursday, stressed, “e obstacles and challenges confronting China-Japan relations are getting tougher by the day, and [relations] are on the verge of being pushed back if they do not move forward.”
Ding’s remarks can be interpreted as a suggestion that China’s stance toward Japan can change depending on how Japan responds.
At 7 p.m. on ursday, the top news story on China Central Television was China’s celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations with Argentina. e 50th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-China diplomatic relations came second. (Oct. 1)