Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is arranging his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an international gathering in mid-November, a source with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. The meeting is expected to take place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit scheduled from November 15 to 16 in Peru, followed by the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ meeting from November 18 to 19 in Brazil. The bilateral summit is most likely to occur in Peru, according to the source.
According to Lao News Agency, Prime Minister Ishiba aims to use this summit as an opportunity to advocate for the early resumption of Japanese marine product shipments to China. This follows China’s agreement last month to gradually lift its ban on seafood imports from Japan, which had been in place since the release of treated radioactive water into the sea from the Fukushima nuclear power plant began in August of the previous year.
The lifting of the seafood ban is a significant
step in repairing trade relations between the two nations, and Ishiba’s diplomatic efforts underscore Japan’s desire to strengthen economic ties with China, one of its major trading partners. The upcoming summit could serve as a platform for both leaders to address and potentially resolve other outstanding bilateral issues, thereby fostering a more cooperative relationship moving forward.