Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will attend next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, her first visit to China since relations between the two countries soured over her remarks on Taiwan last year.
Takaichi will begin a four-day trip to the Philippines and China on Monday, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki told a news conference.
In the Philippines, which holds the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, she will attend a Japan-ASEAN summit on Tuesday.
Arrangements are also under way for the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. to meet in Manila under the Quad framework, in what would be the group’s first summit since September 2024.
Takaichi will then travel to Shenzhen for the APEC summit on 18 and 19 November, where leaders are expected to discuss trade, energy resilience and artificial intelligence.
Ties between Tokyo and Beijing have been strained since Takaichi said last year that any Chinese military action against Taiwan, including a naval blockade, could amount to a “survival-threatening situation” allowing Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defence.
China has since responded with a series of measures, including travel advisories discouraging visits to Japan, restrictions on Japanese seafood imports and export curbs on rare earths used in high-tech manufacturing.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory, while Taipei rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
Takaichi met Chinese President Xi Jinping at last year’s APEC summit in South Korea. Xi urged Japan at the time to abide by “clear provisions on major issues” to ensure that the foundation of China-Japan relations was “neither damaged nor shaken”.
This time, the chances of a meeting between the two leaders appear slim. Tokyo has asked Beijing to give Takaichi the same protocol treatment as other leaders in Shenzhen, and Japanese officials expect at least a customary handshake with Xi.
Beijing has reportedly continued to demand that Takaichi retract her Taiwan remarks.
Takaichi is also expected to seek a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during her stay in the Philippines.
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