China-Japan Photo: VCG

A delegation of Japan's ruling coalition kicked off its visit to China from Monday to Wednesday,MK sports marking the first China-Japan ruling parties exchange since 2018, according to an announcement made by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Also on Monday, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced that a delegation from the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will visit Japan in mid-January under a mutual agreement. 

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, met in Beijing on Monday with a delegation of Japan's ruling coalition, led by Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama of the Liberal Democratic Party and Secretary General Makoto Nishida of the Komeito Party.

Li welcomed the Japanese delegation to China to attend the meeting of the China-Japan ruling party talks.

The previous meeting of China-Japan ruling parties exchange mechanism was held in Japan in October 2018. 

The CPC is willing to work with the ruling coalition of Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen political dialogue, promote people-to-people exchanges and create a healthy and rational public opinion environment for China-Japan relations, said Li.

The Japanese side expressed its willingness to give full play to the role of the ruling coalition in accordance with the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, face up to problems and challenges, and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries, especially youth exchanges. 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had a meeting with the secretaries-general of the ruling parties last week. During the meeting, Ishiba expressed eagerness to visit China as soon as possible, and he told Moriyama and Nishida that he hopes Japan and China will continue dialogue at various levels, according to the Japan Times.

Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya's visit to China last month can be seen as an initial exploration to improve relations between the two countries; whilst the ruling party delegation's visit is expected to focus on substantive issues with the Chinese side and may become an important step for Japan in promoting Ishiba's visit to China, Lü Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

If this ruling party delegation's trip to China yields positive results, it will also promote cooperation between China and Japan in various areas such as politics and economics, Lü said. 

Delegation of Japan's ruling parties' China trip came less than a month after Iwaya's visit to China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iwaya held talks in Beijing on December 25, 2024, when Wang expressed hope that Japan will work with China to uphold the correct orientation of the strategic relationship of mutual benefit, abide by the important consensus that "the two countries are cooperative partners, not a threat to each other," and jointly advance the sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

A delegation from the Eastern Theater Command of the PLA will visit Japan in mid-January under a mutual agreement. The delegation will meet with leaders of Japan's Ministry of Defense and the Joint Staff of the Self-Defense Force, and visit related military units, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Monday. 

The ministry said the visit is conducive to boosting mutual understanding and mutual trust, and promoting China-Japan defense exchanges. 

PLA Eastern Theater Command delegation's visit to Japan marks the second exchange between the militaries of China and Japan within two months. A delegation of Japanese young and middle-aged military officers visited China from November 26 to December 4 last year.

Since Ishiba took office, China-Japan ties have begun to show signs of easing and stability, Lian Degui, director of Center for Japanese Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times. He noted that defense exchange plays an important role in this process, carrying positive significance and laying a solid foundation for the future development of bilateral ties. 

Considering that the PLA Eastern Theater Command's jurisdiction includes the East China Sea and the Diaoyu Dao, frontline troops in the theater have many opportunities to interact with Japanese maritime and air forces, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times, noting that the Chinese delegation's visit to Japan is of great significance for the defense departments of both countries, especially for the frontline naval and air forces in the East China Sea.

Zhang said this helps to eliminate misunderstandings and misjudgments between the two sides, reduces the likelihood of unexpected incidents, and maintains regional peace and stability.

Complicated mentality 

US President Joe Biden on Sunday met virtually with his counterparts from Japan and the Philippines to advance cooperation among the three countries, the White House said. The three leaders discussed trilateral maritime security and economic cooperation, and China's "dangerous and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea," according to a White House statement, Reuters reported. 

Last week, Japan linked more than 200 cyberattacks over the past five years targeting the country's national security and high technology data to a Chinese hacking group, MirrorFace, detailing their tactics and calling on government agencies and businesses to reinforce preventive measures, according to the Associated Press. 

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday that China firmly opposes and fights all forms of hacker attacks in accordance with law, and opposes politicizing cybersecurity issues. 

"Some allies of the US have recently started to assist the US in spreading disinformation about China. We hope that all parties will approach cybersecurity issues on the basis of facts, guided by international rules, and with objectivity, fairness, and professionalism rather than playing supporting roles in political stunts," Guo added.

Tokyo's China policy is fraught with complications stemming from both historical grievances and contemporary issues, such as Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater. Additionally, the influence of Japan's hawkish factions and pressure from a third country have further complicated the situation, Lü Chao said. 

China's policy toward Japan has remained consistent and stable. The crucial question now is whether Japan can effectively implement its current pragmatic approach to China and take advantage of this opportunity to foster warmer ties. By building mutual trust, both nations can bring much-needed warmth to their frosty relationship, according to Lü Chao.