Ahead of the Shenzhen APEC Summit, Japan Seeks Basic Diplomatic Courtesy for Takaichi From China; Takaichi Confirms on the 9th That She Will Attend
TOKYO — Ahead of this month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting in Shenzhen, Japan is working to avoid a snub for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi when she encounters Chinese President Xi Jinping, and hopes the Chinese host will extend the basic diplomatic courtesy customarily given to other leaders, including a handshake, Bloomberg reported.
It would be the first contact between the two since ties were strained by Takaichi's Taiwan-related remarks last November. China has since restricted rare earth exports to Japan, and relations remain tense. Japanese officials expect Xi to at least shake her hand in line with protocol, the report said, while analysts see a separate bilateral summit during APEC as unlikely, with any contact expected to be limited to formal settings such as the welcome dinner and the group photo.
Separately, Japanese media reported that Takaichi told a Liberal Democratic Party executive meeting on November 9 that she will attend the ASEAN summit in the Philippines in mid-November and the APEC leaders' meeting in Shenzhen, subject to Diet approval. The Shenzhen APEC leaders' meeting is scheduled for November 18-19.
(Source: Bloomberg)
Source: Bloomberg
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：日本首相高市早苗官方肖像（日本内阁广报室，CC BY 4.0），经 Wikimedia Commons，本站档案图复用。 / Photo: Official portrait of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (Cabinet Public Affairs Office, Japan, CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; GSM archive reuse.
