Japanese Minister for Children's Policies Hitoshi Kikawada has traveled to Shanghai to attend the APEC ministerial meeting on "Women and the Economy". This marks the first visit to China by a Japanese cabinet member since Sino-Japanese relations soured following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks regarding a "Taiwan contingency" last November. Kikawada stated he received a thoughtful invitation from the Chinese side and intends to focus on the APEC themes without holding sideline meetings with counterparts, including China, before returning to Japan.