Foreign Ministers of China and Japan agree on visit and security dialogue by Reuters

Written by Liz Lee and Sakura Murakami

BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) – Talks between the foreign ministers of China and Japan in Beijing have paved the way for Japan to host China’s foreign minister next year and mutually agree to hold a security dialogue as soon as possible, Japan said on Wednesday.

No details were provided on when the events would be held, but Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters after his meeting and working lunch with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the two sides agreed to continue high-level talks, including the possibility of an economic dialogue during a 2025 visit.

The one-day visit is Iwaya’s first to the Chinese capital since he became Japan’s foreign minister in October, to discuss thorny issues with his country’s largest trading partner.

This comes after an agreement between the leaders of the two countries to work towards establishing a mutually beneficial strategic relationship.

Relations between the two neighbours, trading partners with close economic and investment ties but rivals in security and territorial claims, are complicated by long-standing geopolitical disputes and historical wartime sensitivities.

Iwaya raised several security concerns, urging China to take “necessary action” including removing the buoy that Japan has identified and believes China has installed in the exclusive economic zone near one of Japan’s southernmost islands.

“I also expressed my deep concern about the situation in the East China Sea… and the increasing activity of the Chinese military,” he added.

Regarding regional concerns, Wang and Iwaya discussed North Korea.

He added that Iwaya sought China’s participation in “a responsible role in maintaining peace and security in the international community.”

Japan expressed “deep concern” about the security alliance between North Korea and Russia, through which North Korea will gain advanced military technology and combat experience.

At the meeting, Wang stressed that the importance of relations between the two countries goes beyond bilateral relations.

“If relations between China and Japan are stable, then Asia will be more stable,” Wang said at the beginning of their meeting.

Visa rules and seafood ban

In exchange for China’s relaxed visa rules, Japan will remove some requirements for three-year multiple-entry tourist visas for Chinese citizens and allow group visa holders to stay for up to 30 days instead of the previous 15 days.

The country has also introduced a 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa.

Last month, Beijing expanded its visa exemption arrangements to include Japan until the end of 2025, restoring a policy that had been suspended during the pandemic.

China also extended the stay period to 30 days instead of 15 days. Japanese citizens were able to enter China without a visa for up to 14 days before the coronavirus outbreak.

Iwaya noted that addressing the safety and security of Japanese citizens is important to increase travel between Japan and China.

Iwaya said the issues of Japanese citizens detained under China’s anti-espionage law and the lack of transparency around the law have led Japanese people to feel hesitant about traveling to China, calling for more transparency and the release of detainees.

Discussion of China’s ban on Japanese seafood, which was highly anticipated on the agenda, did not indicate any easing of restrictions, but only that the two sides agreed to “appropriate implementation” of a recent agreement.

A major sticking point in bilateral relations has been Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, which Beijing has strongly opposed and responded to by tightening inspections on Japanese goods.

China was Japan’s largest export market for aquatic products until Beijing banned it completely in protest against Tokyo’s actions.

The two governments reached an agreement in September requiring Japan to establish long-term international monitoring arrangements that would allow stakeholders such as China to conduct independent sampling of treated water.

This was expected to lead to a resumption of imports, but China still wants reassurances from Tokyo that it will fulfill its commitment before “adjusting relevant measures” and gradually restoring imports that meet standards and regulations.

However, the two countries expressed their willingness to resume talks on resuming imports of Japanese beef and rice.