APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting Opens in Suzhou; Focus on Japan-China Ministerial Contact

Central News Agency, Shanghai, May 22. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers' Meeting opened today in Suzhou, China. Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa is leading a delegation to the meeting, and whether he can hold informal contact with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has become a focus of external attention. According to Kyodo News, the APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting is being held in Suzhou from the 22nd to the 23rd, with Japan sending Akazawa and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii. In an interview before the opening, Akazawa said, 'If there is an opportunity to contact Minister Wang, I would like to discuss various topics.' Akazawa is the second Japanese cabinet minister to visit China since former Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks about a 'Taiwan contingency' in the Diet last November. According to Wang Wentao, the meeting will discuss four key areas: promoting regional economic integration, the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) process, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO), strengthening digital cooperation, and developing a green economy. The APEC Leaders' Meeting will be held in Shenzhen, China, this November. Kenji Kanasugi, Japan's Ambassador to China, said in an interview with Kyodo News on the 20th that a leaders' summit is very important for improving China-Japan relations, and he will make every effort to facilitate a China-Japan leaders' meeting during the APEC summit.