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

Japan’s trade minister Ryosei Akazawa said he had only a brief conversation with China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao at an APEC trade ministers meeting in Suzhou, China, and that the two did not hold formal bilateral talks.

Akazawa said the exchange took place before a dinner during the May 22-23 gathering, which brought together trade ministers from APEC economies. He did not disclose what, if anything, was discussed.

The encounter comes at a sensitive moment in Japan-China ties, which have been strained in reporting linked to the Taiwan dispute. The brief contact is notable mainly for what did not happen: there was no substantive bilateral meeting between the two ministers.

Official Japanese and Chinese material confirmed the APEC trade ministers meeting was taking place in Suzhou on May 22-23. Reuters reported Akazawa’s remarks on May 23, and other coverage the same day corroborated that no formal talks were held.

The open question is whether either government later offers a fuller readout of the encounter or uses the APEC sidelines to pursue further contact.