First Japanese Cabinet Member Visit to China Expected After PM's Taiwan Contingency Remarks

Q: What are the key facts in this article?

Japanese cabinet member Hitoshi Kawakita announced he is coordinating a visit to Shanghai for an APEC ministerial meeting. If realized, this would be the first visit by a Japanese cabinet member to China since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "Taiwan contingency" remarks.

Q: What is the direct answer?

Japanese cabinet member Hitoshi Kawakita announced he is coordinating a visit to Shanghai for an APEC ministerial meeting. If realized, this would be the first visit by a Japanese cabinet member to China since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "Taiwan contingency" remarks.

Q: What is the source and date?

Source: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202605120144.aspx | Date: Date unavailable

Central Message (Central News Agency, Tokyo, 12th, comprehensive foreign report) Japanese cabinet member Hitoshi Kawakita stated today that he is coordinating to attend a ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Shanghai. If this visit materializes, he will be the first Japanese cabinet member to visit China since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "Taiwan contingency" remarks last year. According to NHK, China will host the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November this year and plans to hold the "Women and the Economy Forum" in Shanghai starting on the 15th of this month, as the first ministerial-level meeting of APEC this year. Hitoshi Kawakita, Japan's Minister in charge of Children's Policies, also covers policies related to gender equality. He stated at a press conference after the cabinet meeting today, "If various circumstances permit, we are coordinating to attend the 'Women and the Economy Forum'." He also said, "If I can attend this meeting, I will directly convey our country's policies related to women's empowerment to relevant ministers from APEC member economies and hope to share various issues with countries and regions. This meeting will be a very meaningful opportunity for in-depth discussions." Last year, when questioned in the House of Representatives, Takaichi stated that if a "Taiwan contingency" (an emergency in Taiwan) involves the use of force by the other party, it could constitute a "situation threatening Japan's existence" where Japan could exercise collective self-defense. Beijing strongly protested this, believing it implied possible military intervention in the Taiwan Strait. Japan-China relations have since deteriorated, with no ministerial-level dialogue between the two sides. Kyodo News Chinese website reported today that after Japan-China relations fell into a stalemate, exchanges between the two sides significantly decreased. However, the Japan-China Economic Association revealed that it still hopes to maintain

First Japanese Cabinet Member Visit to China Expected After PM's Taiwan Contingency Remarks

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