Japan and China plan security talks ‘in near future’: Japan foreign minister

TOKYO: Japan and China are hoping to hold security talks “in the near future”, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said on Saturday (Nov 25) after meeting China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in South Korea.

The talks between Kamikawa and Wang marked the first time the two senior diplomats had met since Kamikawa became Japan’s foreign minister in September and followed on from leadership talks held just over a week ago.

“We confirmed that we are seeking further close communication on a variety of issues … and we are hoping to hold security talks in the near future,” Kamikawa told reporters.

Japan and China will also seek high-level talks on the economy, Kamikawa said, adding that no date had been set.

China’s President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met on the sidelines of an international conference in the United States earlier this month, where they agreed to pursue mutually beneficial relations in their first face-to-face talks in a year.