According to a report by Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun on November 26, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiro Kan’s talks with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the 25th showed a strong atmosphere of cooperation. The reason is that although tensions surrounding the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands still exist, Japan and China hope for “stable relations”.
Kan Yiwei said at the meeting on the same day, “I sincerely welcome State Councilor Wang Yi to visit Japan. I’m very happy that the exchange of visits between important Japanese and Chinese members has been resumed, and I show an attitude of attaching importance to the cooperation between Japan and China.
According to the report, Kan Yiwei also asked China to impose restrictions on the navigation of official ships on the Diaoyu Islands during the talks, but officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “the atmosphere is generally harmonious”.
The report pointed out that Kan Yiwei’s basic attitude towards China is to contain China and seek economic interests. This follows the “two-front operation” policy of former Prime Minister Abe.
The report also said that Yoshihiro Kan had previously held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo, Australian Prime Minister Morrison and others. However, there is also a view that Kan Yiwei attaches more importance to the economy than Abe and pays relatively little attention to safety and security, but the situation remains to be seen.
The report stressed that Kan Yiwei has a positive attitude towards economic exchanges with China, Japan’s largest trading partner. His tourism strategy, which he fully promoted when he was the Chief Secretary of the Government, was frustrated by the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, but he hoped to really relax his dealings with China to help the economic recovery.
It is reported that Kan Yiwei and Wang Yi also cheered for next summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. If the Tokyo Olympic Games cannot be held due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, the Beijing Winter Olympics are also likely to be affected. Diplomatic scholars in Beijing said that China sincerely hopes that the Tokyo Olympic Games can be held.
