Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit China during Nov. 16-19 meetings linked to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), her first China trip in office amid strained ties.
Masanao Ozaki, Japan's deputy chief Cabinet secretary, said Nov. 13 that Takaichi's itinerary includes the Philippines and China. The Shenzhen stop will be her first visit to China since she became prime minister in October 2025.
Takaichi's November 2025 suggestion that Tokyo might intervene in an attack on Taiwan angered Beijing, The Straits Times reported. The newspaper said China later discouraged its citizens from traveling to Japan and imposed trade restrictions.
China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, said in September that ties with Tokyo needed normalization during a meeting with former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, according to The Straits Times. A month later, Takaichi described China as an important neighbor in a policy address and said Japan wanted stable ties while defending its positions and urging responsible conduct, the newspaper reported.
Ozaki said Takaichi would outline Japan's position at APEC on trade and investment, regional integration, economic and energy resilience, and digital issues. Before traveling to Shenzhen, she is due in Manila for an 11-nation ASEAN meeting.
Alongside the ASEAN meetings, officials were arranging a gathering of the Quad's four leaders, Ozaki said. The leaders would represent Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun was scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Nov. 13, according to EconoTimes' earlier report on the planned talks. The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 18-19 in Shenzhen, and U.S. President Donald Trump plans to attend, according to EconoTimes' earlier coverage of his China trip.
