As tensions continue in Japan-China relations, former Foreign Minister Iwaya (岩屋 毅) held talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅). Wang urged Japan to correct its leaders’ statements and conduct regarding the Taiwan issue, exposing the dispute over remarks by the Japanese side.
Iwaya (岩屋 毅), a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and former foreign minister, held talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) on 28 September 2026. A senior Foreign Ministry official said, “The fact that the meeting took place in itself is significant.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) said that Japan-China relations were once again facing a difficult phase and urged the Japanese side to correct its leaders’ statements and conduct regarding the Taiwan issue. Former Foreign Minister Iwaya (岩屋 毅) was said to have indicated that he wanted China to stop criticising Japan as a new-style militarist.
This was the first time since November 2025 that the Chinese side had made public a meeting between a Japanese politician and its foreign minister. Chinese government officials said the aim was “to put pressure on Prime Minister Takaichi (高市 早苗).”
While some government officials view economic exchanges between Japan and China positively, others say that whether this meeting will lead to improved intergovernmental relations is a separate matter. Views remain divided.