Former Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi (岩屋毅) visited China and held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) and Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰). While the relationship between the two countries was elevated, the wording concerning withdrawal was updated to “correction,” and cooperation in civilian sectors and developments in China’s response became focal points.
Former Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi (岩屋毅), who visited China as chairman of the Japan-China Association for the Promotion of International Trade, held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) on 28 September and Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰) on 29 September. The formal talks with Wang Yi (王毅) are believed to be the first since the remarks on Taiwan by the Takaichi administration in November 2025.
The record of Wang Yi’s (王毅) press conference focused on history and Taiwan, with no mention of economic cooperation. Iwaya (岩屋) said he was concerned about the situation and responded that the two sides should return to the original intent and starting point of the four political documents. China changed its wording demanding that the Takaichi administration withdraw its remarks from “withdrawal” to “correction,” shifting to a position calling for prompt correction.
Vice Premier He Lifeng’s (何立峰) remarks did not mention Taiwan and conveyed a welcome for cooperation in civilian sectors and the development of Japanese companies in China. Iwaya (岩屋) called for faster procedures for exports of rare earths for civilian use to Japan, bringing improvements in the speed of on-site approvals to the fore as an issue.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara (木原) told reporters that the government would refrain from commenting, describing the matter as a development involving a private-sector economic organization. While the situation is moving toward correction, it remains uncertain whether the Takaichi administration will accept it, and the outcome could be an ambiguous settlement.