Japan Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa will attend the APEC trade ministers’ meeting in Suzhou this week as Tokyo seeks to maintain dialogue with Beijing despite strained ties over Taiwan. Attention is focused on whether Akazawa will meet his Chinese co

2026-05-20

Japan Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa will attend the APEC trade ministers’ meeting in Suzhou this week as Tokyo seeks to maintain dialogue with Beijing despite strained ties over Taiwan. Attention is focused on whether Akazawa will meet his Chinese counterpart, marking a potential first ministerial-level exchange since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks last year suggesting Japan could deploy its military if China used force against Taiwan. The dispute has hurt business exchanges and prompted fresh Chinese export curbs and travel warnings.