Japan trade minister holds brief talks with Chinese counterpart amid diplomatic row

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) – Japan’s Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said on Saturday there were no formal bilateral talks with China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, though the ​two had a brief conversation before a dinner ‌on Friday, without disclosing details.

Akazawa spoke to reporters after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou.

Akazawa is the most senior Japanese official to visit China since a diplomatic ‌dispute ​between the two countries erupted in ⁠November.

“Before the dinner began on ⁠Friday, I approached Minister Wang and had a brief conversation,” Akazawa said, adding he could not disclose details because it was a diplomatic exchange.

He said on Friday he ​hoped to discuss various issues with Wang if the opportunity arose, according to Kyodo news agency.

A Japanese trade ministry ⁠official declined to comment on ⁠whether Tokyo had formally requested bilateral talks.

A meeting ​between Akazawa and a senior Chinese official would have marked the ​highest-level engagement since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ‌triggered the row by saying a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a response from Tokyo.

Since then, Beijing has adopted a raft of retaliatory measures, urging its citizens not ⁠to travel to Japan and choking off shipments of some rare earths, which are vital in making electric cars, weapons and other ⁠products.

During the APEC ‌ministerial meeting, Akazawa called on exporting nations ⁠to rectify arbitrary rare earth export controls, ​though he ‌did not name any country, the ministry ​official said.

China ⁠has cut Japan off from several heavy rare earths and other materials for at least four months, coinciding with a dispute between the two countries, suggesting Beijing is using its control over critical minerals as diplomatic leverage.…Read more by Thomson Reuters