Japan and China navigate frosty relations following Kishida’s US visit

24 Apr 2024
politics
Shin Kawashima
Professor of international relations, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, University of Tokyo
Japanese academic Shin Kawashima notes that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent visit to the US has ruffled China’s feathers, but that does not necessarily mean that Japan will shift its diplomatic approach.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a joint meeting of Congress, as US Vice-President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) listen, at the US Capitol in Washington, US, on 11 April 2024. (Michael A. McCoy/Reuters)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a joint meeting of Congress, as US Vice-President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) listen, at the US Capitol in Washington, US, on 11 April 2024. (Michael A. McCoy/Reuters)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington and North Carolina in the US in April 2024, and held numerous meetings and exchanges, including a summit with US President Joe Biden and an address to the US Congress.

The two leaders also issued a joint statement entitled “Global Partners for the Future”. This statement is believed to be aimed at upgrading the Japan-US alliance in terms of time frame and geographical space.

In terms of time frame, it is clearly “for the future”. So, no matter the near-term result of the US presidential election in November 2024, in the long term, it would mean building a firm alliance with the US without shifting its stance according to the situation.

In terms of geographical space, it would mean expanding the relationship such as “Japan-US+” or exploring various opportunities for cooperation, including not only the Quad but also a cooperative relationship with NATO. The statement also includes the idea of outer space and other diverse areas of cooperation.

China riled by Japan-US summits

China’s foreign ministry strongly protested these Japan-US summits, joint statements and Kishida’s speech at Congress, and raised points of contention. In particular, dissatisfaction grew over Taiwan, the South China Sea and nuclear weapons. China’s foreign ministry also strongly criticised frameworks such as Japan-US-South Korea, Japan-US-Philippines, and so on, saying they create a “small group” encircling China.

“China’s activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea are in full compliance with international law and there’s nothing wrong about them...” — Chinese foreign ministry spokesman

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on 11 April 2024. (Drew Angerer/AFP)

The joint statement said, “We emphasize that our basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged and reiterate the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. We encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.” These words are not much different from the Taiwan-related portions of previous Japan-US and summit statements such as the G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman protested, saying, “I want to stress that there is but one China. This is a historical fact and international consensus. The Taiwan question is purely China’s domestic affair and brooks no external interference. Both the US and Japanese governments have made serious commitments to China on the Taiwan question. In particular, Japan bears serious historical responsibilities for its aggression against Taiwan and colonial rule over the island, and should all the more honour its words and act prudently. We urge the US to translate President Biden’s commitment of not supporting ‘Taiwan independence’ into concrete actions.”

However, the words used by the Chinese side have been used before and are not new.

On the South China Sea, the joint statement said: “The PRC’s recent dangerous and escalatory behaviour supporting its unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea as well as efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation are inconsistent with international law as reflected in UNCLOS.”

The Leaders’ Communique at the G7 Hiroshima Summit stated: “There is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China’s militarization activities in the region. We emphasize the universal and unified character of the UNCLOS and reaffirm UNCLOS’s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas.”

... the part of the US-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement that emphasises relations with China does not seem to be mentioned much in China.

Japan and the US emphasise communication with China

The latest version takes it one step further, probably due to the recent problems with the Philippines.

In response, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said, “China’s activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea are in full compliance with international law and there’s nothing wrong about them... China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and its adjacent waters. China stands ready to continue properly handling maritime issues with parties concerned through dialogue and consultation and jointly upholding peace and stability in the South China Sea. In the meantime, no one should violate China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and China remains steadfast in safeguarding our lawful rights.”

China objects to the Japanese and US view that China’s claims have no basis in international law. Furthermore, the Chinese foreign ministry criticised Japan and the US for interfering in Japan’s internal affairs and violating the basic rules of international relations.

Cherry blossoms bloom near the Capitol in Washington, US, on 20 March 2024. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Reuters)

These exchanges between Japan, the US and China are partly the same as before and partly new. However, the part of the US-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement that emphasises relations with China does not seem to be mentioned much in China.

For example, the line, “In particular, we underscore the importance of candid communication with the PRC, including at the leader level, and express the intent to work with the PRC where possible on areas of common interest,” was not featured in China. Both Japan and the US reiterated the existing policy of emphasising communication with China and cooperating where possible.

Japan-China relations are relatively warming up — while the temperature is still low — ahead of the Japan-China-ROK trilateral summit.

However, China’s evaluation of the stance of Japan and the US has been somewhat moderated.

On 12 April 2024, the Chinese foreign ministry summoned a senior official from the Japanese embassy to protest. The person who protested was the director-general of the Asian Affairs Department of the foreign ministry, Liu Jinsong, and the one who was summoned was the chief minister of the Japanese embassy in China, Akira Yokochi. During the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May 2023, Sun Weidong, a vice-minister of foreign affairs of China, summoned the then Japanese ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi to protest. So, it can be said that the level of protest was lowered this time.

In this sense, Japan-China relations are relatively warming up — while the temperature is still low — ahead of the Japan-China-ROK trilateral summit.

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