Japan, Taiwan seek to mend ties with China

A cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers traveled to Beijing to seek dialogue with China after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, with participants including Gaku Hashimoto and representatives from opposition parties. Beijing issued warnings and imposed trade measures that have disrupted Japan’s supply chains for rare earth minerals. The visit aims to repair deteriorating China–Japan ties and potentially reopen channels severed since the Taiwan dispute flared up. Separately, Taiwan’s Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang led a large delegation to Tokyo for the Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union meetings to bolster parliamentary diplomacy, focusing on economic cooperation, trade, culture, and regional supply-chain resilience with Japan. The Taiwan-Japan engagement complements efforts to strengthen regional ties amid tensions involving Taiwan and broader security concerns in Asia. Both countries are pursuing high-level inter-parliamentary outreach to stabilize relations and safeguard economic interests in a tense regional context.