
Japanese ruling coalition members, Hiroshi Moriyama and Makoto Nishida, engaged in discussions with Chinese officials in Beijing on Jan. 14, marking a significant step towards enhancing bilateral relations that had been strained for over six years. The meeting, attended by Liu Jianchao, head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee’s International Department, aimed to establish a new chapter of exchange between the ruling parties of Japan and China. Moriyama expressed hope that the meeting would pave the way for improved relations, while also raising concerns about the slow progress in lifting the ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed after the Fukushima nuclear plant incident in 2023.
Nishida, the junior coalition partner Komeito’s secretary-general, also pushed for efforts to address the situation concerning the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea during the discussions with their Chinese counterparts. Liu Jianchao acknowledged the importance of the meeting as a crucial first step towards promoting the enhancement and development of bilateral ties, although specifics regarding how China intended to address the issues raised by the Japanese side were not elaborated. The Chinese Communist Party, being in control of the administrative, legislative, and judicial branches of the government, places significant emphasis on engaging with ruling parties of other nations to foster international relations.