Ryosei Akazawa said there were no formal bilateral talks with China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings, despite the two briefly speaking on the sidelines of an official dinner.
Speaking to reporters after the meetings in Suzhou, China on 23 May 2026, Akazawa clarified that while he approached Wang before the dinner on Friday for a short conversation, no substantive discussions were held and he did not disclose the content of their exchange.
A Japanese trade ministry official also declined to confirm whether Tokyo had formally requested a bilateral meeting between the two sides.
Akazawa is the most senior Japanese official to visit China since a diplomatic dispute erupted in November, marking a sensitive backdrop to the APEC ministerial gathering.
The tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a response from Japan.
Since then, Beijing has implemented a series of retaliatory measures, including urging its citizens not to travel to Japan and restricting shipments of certain rare earth materials, which are critical for industries such as electric vehicles and defence manufacturing.
During the APEC meetings, Akazawa also called on exporting economies to address what he described as arbitrary export controls on rare earths, although he did not name any specific country.
China has reportedly limited Japan’s access to several heavy rare earth materials for months, adding further strain to already tense bilateral relations and highlighting the strategic importance of critical mineral supply chains.
The APEC ministerial meeting was chaired by China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and brought together trade officials from across the Asia-Pacific region amid broader discussions on global economic stability and supply chain resilience.
Reuters
