By Shannon Tiezzi
A recent meeting in Beijing is a baby step toward a bilateral summit — provided historical issues don’t get in the way.
On Thursday and Friday, China and Japan held their first high-level political talks since turning a new page on their relationship last November. Japan’s National Security Council chief, Shotaro Yachi, traveled to Beijing for talks with State Councilor Yang Jiechi as well as meetings with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan. The talks raised hopes about a continuing thaw in China-Japan relations – including the possibility of a summit meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported back in June that a planned Yang-Yachi meeting in mid-July would focus on two topics: Abe’s planned statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and a possible summit between the Chinese and Japanese leaders. Abe and Xi have meet several times since both assumed office, but always on the sidelines of larger multilateral groupings (most notably the APEC forum held in Beijing last November, and most recently at the Asian-African Conference held in Indonesia this April). A purely bilateral meeting between Asia’s two largest economies would be a major step forward.
However, there are a number of obstacles to overcome first – not least the sensitive timing of this year, which marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. That has focused even more attention than usual on the historical issues dividing China and Japan. Abe’s upcoming statement on the end of the war has become a flashpoint for these issues; the statement was believed to have been discussed during Yachi’s visit.
Read the full story at The Diplomat