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China-Japan relations
ChinaDiplomacy

As China and Japan set the past aside to counter Trump turbulence, how far will Tokyo go?

Both China and Japan see stable ties as a bulwark against Trump risks, but Tokyo unlikely to be drawn away from US orbit, analysts say

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second left) with foreign ministers (from left) Cho Tae-yul of South Korea, Wang Yi of China and Takeshi Iwaya of Japan, at Ishiba’s office in Tokyo on March 21. Photo: Kyodo
Alyssa Chen

When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba received the foreign ministers of China and South Korea in his office in Tokyo last Friday, the backdrop was an intricate piece of calligraphy.

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The characters read: “to offer the clothes off one’s back [to help others]” – symbolising a spirit of generous assistance and solidarity through hard times.

That artwork perfectly captured the essence of geopolitical realities motivating the three East Asian neighbours with historical grievances to forge closer ties – as the policies of US President Donald Trump trigger global uncertainty and chaos.
Framed calligraphy forms the backdrop for the trilateral meeting in the Japanese prime minister’s office on March 21. Photo: Xinhua
Framed calligraphy forms the backdrop for the trilateral meeting in the Japanese prime minister’s office on March 21. Photo: Xinhua
A major outcome of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Japan was the revival of the bilateral “high-level economic dialogue” mechanism after being halted for six years amid strained ties.

The talks identified around 20 key consensus points covering various areas of cooperation, including green development, service trade, elderly care, food safety, and supply chain and intellectual property protection.

The strengthened cooperation showed both sides wanted to use trade to stabilise their relationship as a safeguard against the uncertainties caused by Trump, but Japan was unlikely to fundamentally move away from the US orbit, analysts said.

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Opening a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers with China and South Korea on Saturday, Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya said that the international situation had become “increasingly severe”.

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