Japan’s proposal to hold a trilateral summit with China and South Korea in January has been rejected by China, casting uncertainty over the future of the meeting. The impasse stems from Chinese anger over remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan, according to diplomatic sources who revealed the information on November 22.
During a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on November 7, Takaichi stated that a Taiwan contingency “could constitute an existential crisis situation.” The comment triggered a sharp deterioration in Japan-China relations. China responded by advising its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, suspending import procedures for Japanese seafood products, and informing South Korea that a planned trilateral culture ministers’ meeting scheduled for November 24 would be postponed. Through diplomatic channels, China has reportedly communicated to relevant countries that Japan’s prime minister failed to handle the situation appropriately, making a summit meeting impossible.
The three nations’ foreign ministers had met in Tokyo in March and agreed to hold a leaders’ summit at an appropriate time. Japan, serving as the rotating chair, quietly sought China and South Korea’s agreement for a January meeting after determining that domestic parliamentary schedules made a gathering this year difficult. However, China’s refusal has left the timing unclear.
If realized, the summit would have brought Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Japan, potentially serving as an opportunity to normalize relations. Japan hopes to arrange the meeting as soon as possible after February, though scheduling faces challenges due to China’s Spring Festival in February and the customary National People’s Congress in March. The impact of Takaichi’s remarks has extended beyond bilateral relations to affect the entire trilateral cooperation framework.
Source: Kyodo News, November 22, 2025
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