Japan's Takaichi to attend APEC summit on 1st China visit since Taiwan row

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will attend next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, marking her first visit to China since bilateral relations deteriorated 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, according to Kyodo News.

Her itinerary includes a Japan-ASEAN summit in the Philippines on Tuesday. The country is hosting the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit this year.

Arrangements are also underway for the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the US to meet in Manila under the Quad framework, in what would be the grouping's first summit since September 2024.

Takaichi will then travel to Shenzhen for the APEC summit on Nov. 18-19, where leaders are expected to discuss regional economic issues, including trade, energy resilience and artificial intelligence.

Last year, Takaichi said any Chinese military action against Taiwan, including a naval blockade, could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" allowing Japan to "exercise its right to collective self-defense."

Beijing has since introduced several measures in response, 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 attended last year's APEC summit in South Korea, where she met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi urged Japan to abide by and fulfill "clear provisions on major issues" to ensure that the foundation of China-Japan relations was "neither damaged nor shaken."