Effort for Summit Meeting

In the midst of dispute over violation of sovereignty over Senkaku Islands, Okinawa, Foreign Ministers of Japan and China had a discussion in Tokyo, which resulted in a draw with exchange of basic principle of each other. The meeting was held taking opportunity of trilateral ministerial meeting including South Korea. While they were careful in not break down the momentum for bilateral summit meeting this fall, Japan and China could find no common basis for settling the dispute.

In the bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, Japanese Foreign Minister, Fumio Kishida, strongly protested consecutive intrusion by Chinese official vessels in Japanese territory around Senkaku Islands. Regarding possible meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Group of 20 meeting in Beijing next month, Kishida offered promoting improved relationship, if the situation over East China Sea would be improved.

According to Kishida, Wang maintained China’s basic standpoint on East China Sea, which was supposedly a unilateral assertion that Senkakus had been inherent territory of China. But, Wang also referred to necessity of avoiding deteriorated environment and unexpected situation, resulted in common notion that they needed early start of Maritime Air Communication Mechanism.

After the meeting, Wang emphasized that both ministers reached on a common notion to control friction on the sea with each other’s effort. “Although Chinese side is considering it, we need preferable mood or environment for it. Guest has to abide by what host says,” told Wang on the summit meeting by Abe and Xi. Wang showed another aspect of personality when he finished a meeting with Secretary General of Liberal Democratic Party, Toshihiro Nikai, who had long and moderate relationship with China, by greeting the press corps with Japanese, saying “Hello, everyone, or may be good morning?”

Both ministers did not at least want to stop the momentum for improvement through the top meeting. China wants to make G20 meeting successful to show its status to lead the meeting, which is to compensate negative conclusion of international court on China’s advance in South China Sea. Abe sees the improvement of relationship with China or South Korea as a necessary step for longer life of his administration.

While reconfirming common standpoint to oppose missile development of North Korea, which North Korea protested with shooting new submarine launched ballistic missile to Japan Sea, Kishida finalized the deal of donating ¥1 billion yen for former comfort women with South Korean Foreign Minister, Yun Byung-se. But, bilateral relationship with South Korea is also unforeseeable with dispute over Takeshima Island or consistent protest over comfort woman issue.