Japan trade minister holds brief talks with Chinese counterpart amid diplomatic row

Japan's Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said on ​Saturday there were no formal bilateral ​talks with China's Commerce Minister Wang ‌Wentao, ​though the two had a brief conversation before a dinner on Friday, without disclosing details.

Japan's Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said on ​Saturday there were no formal bilateral ​talks with China's Commerce Minister Wang ‌Wentao, ​though the two had a brief conversation before a dinner on Friday, without disclosing details. Akazawa spoke to reporters after attending the ‌Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou.

Akazawa is the most senior Japanese official to visit China since a diplomatic dispute between the two countries erupted in November. "Before ‌the dinner began on Friday, I approached Minister Wang and had a brief conversation," ‌Akazawa said, adding he could not disclose details because it was a diplomatic exchange.

He said on Friday he hoped to discuss various issues with Wang if the opportunity arose, according to Kyodo news agency. A Japanese ⁠trade ministry ​official declined to ⁠comment on whether Tokyo had formally requested bilateral talks.

A meeting between Akazawa and a senior Chinese official would have ⁠marked the highest-level engagement since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi triggered the row by saying a hypothetical ​Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a response from Tokyo. Since then, Beijing has ⁠adopted a raft of retaliatory measures, urging its citizens not to travel to Japan and choking off shipments of ⁠some ​rare earths, which are vital in making electric cars, weapons and other products.

During the APEC ministerial meeting, Akazawa called on exporting nations to rectify arbitrary rare earth export controls, ⁠though he did not name any country, the ministry official said. China has cut Japan off ⁠from several heavy ⁠rare earths and other materials for at least four months, coinciding with a dispute between the two countries, suggesting Beijing is using its control ‌over critical ‌minerals as diplomatic leverage.