Japanese lawmakers visit Beijing to ease Taiwan-remark fallout

A cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers, including one from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), left for Beijing on Monday (August 24, 2026) to meet Chinese officials. The visit is the first such dialogue since bilateral relations took a sharp downturn following Ms. Takaichi’s recent comments on Taiwan, which drew strong objections from China.

The group includes Gaku Hashimoto, a former vice minister of health and welfare from the LDP, and one lawmaker each from the opposition Komeito and Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA). They are scheduled to hold talks with officials of the Chinese Communist Party before returning on Thursday.

“Communication has been severed in all areas, and we are beginning to see their impact in many areas,” Shinichi Isa, a CRA lawmaker and former diplomat at the Japanese Embassy in China, told reporters at Tokyo’s Haneda airport before departure. “I hope we can somehow find a clue to restart a dialogue.”

Earlier this month, Mr. Isa wrote on X that bilateral ties have sunk to their worst since the 1972 normalisation of relations between Japan and China. He noted that even during previous lows, officials on both sides had remained in communication. “Now all channels between officials and ministries have been cut off,” he said, adding that this situation is not in the national interest of either side.

The strain began after Ms. Takaichi, shortly after taking office, said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan and would justify the use of force. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, while the island maintains its own governing institutions. Beijing views such statements as interference in its internal affairs and has repeatedly cautioned foreign governments against making any remarks that could be seen as supporting Taiwan’s independence.

Ms. Takaichi has not retracted her comment. However, on August 15, the anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, she chose to offer prayers remotely instead of visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial site seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism and wartime atrocities.

The Chinese side has accepted the lawmakers’ request for a “window for dialogue,” according to Mr. Isa. The visit is widely seen as an attempt to break the diplomatic impasse, with the two countries also facing spillover effects in their economic relationship. Japan and China are major trading partners, and the recent friction has raised concerns in business communities on both sides.

The delegation’s trip comes amid growing worries in Japan that a prolonged diplomatic freeze could hurt trade, investment, and regional stability. Observers say the visit could help pave the way for higher-level contacts between the two governments, though no immediate breakthrough is expected.

Beijing has stressed that it welcomes exchanges that promote mutual understanding, but it has also repeated its firm stance on Taiwan, warning against external interference. The outcome of this visit is likely to be watched closely in both capitals as an indicator of whether relations can be stabilised.