A bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers recently visited Beijing in an effort to restore political exchanges amid deteriorating Japan-China relations. The delegation included Shinichi Isa of the Centrist Reform Alliance, Gaku Hashimoto of the Liberal Democratic Party, and lawmakers from Komeito. Many of the delegates are considered relatively China-friendly and maintain some distance from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government.
But Beijing offered no apparent concessions. Instead, Lu Kang, a deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department, told the delegation that Beijing had no intention of changing its current Japan policy unless Takaichi reverses her November parliamentary remarks that “a Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan.” The message was clear: Beijing is prepared to improve bilateral relations, but expects Japan to make concessions first.
Japanese commentator Akio Yaita criticized the lawmakers’ visit as a diplomatic miscalculation, arguing that Beijing used the meeting to pressure Tokyo rather than offer substantive concessions on issues such as export controls. He said Japan needs dialogue with China, but such engagement should be based on mutual respect. If Beijing believes Japan is eager to improve relations, he warned, it may demand a high price and repeatedly humiliate Japan.
Source: Liberty Times (Taiwan). August 29, 2026
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/5556051