The foreign ministers of Japan and China have held talks for the first time since bilateral relations became strained last November following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on intervention in a Taiwan contingency, Kyodo News reported today (July 23).

According to the report, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters today (July 23) in Manila, Philippines—where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting is taking place—that he had a brief conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi regarding bilateral relations.

Minister Motegi explained that he happened to cross paths with Foreign Minister Wang while both were attending to their respective schedules at the venue of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

While Minister Motegi stated that he discussed bilateral relations with Foreign Minister Wang, the specific details of the conversation have not been disclosed.

Minister Motegi emphasized to reporters, "Japan is open to dialogue at all levels," adding, "Japan and China play a major role in regional peace. It is very important to continue dialogue moving forward."

The last official contact between the foreign ministers of China and Japan was a telephone conversation held on October 28 of last year to mark Minister Motegi taking office.

Immediately following that call, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Takaichi held a face-to-face summit in Gyeongju on October 31 of the same year.

However, dialogue between the two countries was severed after Prime Minister Takaichi stated during a parliamentary session a week later on November 7, "If [China] uses warships to carry out an armed attack [against Taiwan], I believe it could amount to a situation threatening our survival [allowing for Japanese military intervention]," which prompted Beijing to denounce the remark as an infringement on its internal affairs.

Since then, China has increased pressure on Japan by advising its citizens to refrain from traveling or studying in Japan, while also restricting the export of dual-use goods that have both civilian and military applications.

China has not confirmed the fact that talks took place between the two foreign ministers.

During a regular press briefing today, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian did not provide specific details when asked about the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang and Minister Motegi, stating, "As far as I know, Foreign Minister Wang does not have plans to meet with the Japanese side during this visit to Manila."

Kyodo News reported that the focus of attention is whether this contact between Foreign Minister Wang and Minister Motegi could serve as a stepping stone toward arranging a summit between Prime Minister Takaichi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, China, this November.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Wang did not attend the ASEAN Plus Three (APT: ASEAN and South Korea, China, Japan) Foreign Ministers' Meeting or the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a regional multilateral security dialogue platform, held in Manila today.

Yesterday, Foreign Minister Wang targeted Japan during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, declaring, "We will never tolerate the resurgence of militarism."

In response, Japanese government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated at a press conference today, "Our country [Japan] has consistently walked the path of a peace-loving nation since the postwar period, upholding freedom, democracy, and the rule of law," adding, "We have contributed to world peace and prosperity, earning the trust and support of many countries, including those in Asia."

Having held bilateral meetings in Manila yesterday with ASEAN member states and major countries including the United States, Foreign Minister Wang departed for Kyrgyzstan today to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Spokesperson Lin explained, "Due to scheduling reasons, Foreign Minister Wang was unable to participate in the entire schedule of the East Asia cooperation foreign ministers' meetings," adding, "A senior Chinese official will attend the APT and ARF as our representative."

Meanwhile, Minister Motegi told reporters that he also had a brief conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila.

He stated that he crossed paths with Minister Lavrov and exchanged greetings at a dinner hosted by the Philippine foreign minister, noting, "We have known each other for a long time, and we talked about bilateral relations and the regional situation."

This marks the first contact between the foreign ministers of Japan and Russia since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Regarding relations between Japan and Russia, Minister Motegi explained, "The situation is severe, but Russia is our [Japan's] neighbor," adding, "It is important to properly manage bilateral relations, including through intergovernmental communication and cultural exchanges."