Japan-China Lawmaker Group Meets Chinese Ambassador; Meeting Reportedly Proposed by Beijing

(CNA, Taipei, May 19) Kyodo News reported today that about 10 senior members of Japan's non-partisan "Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union" met yesterday with Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. It was revealed that this meeting was proposed by the Chinese side. According to Kyodo News' Chinese-language service, a related source disclosed this information today. The report stated that participants, including the union's chairman and former LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama, and former election strategy committee chair Yuko Obuchi, exchanged opinions on improving Japan-China relations. Ambassador Wu was quoted as saying that as a diplomat, "no one wishes for relations with Japan to worsen." A related source revealed that the meeting was proposed by the Chinese side. Tetsuo Saito, an advisor to the opposition parliamentary group "Chudo Kaikaku Rengo," Japanese Communist Party Chairwoman Tomoko Tamura, and Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima also attended. Some attendees stated that promoting civilian exchanges is crucial for easing tensions. Ambassador Wu also introduced the recent "Kawa-Xi meeting" (川習會) held in Beijing. The report noted that against the backdrop of deteriorating Japan-China relations following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's (as per original text) "Taiwan contingency" remarks in the Diet last November, the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union had been seeking the possibility of an early visit to China, but this has not yet materialized.