Japan Places Less Diplomatic Significance on China

Tokyo, April 10 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government has downgraded China's diplomatic significance amid worsening Tokyo-Beijing ties following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "Taiwan contingency" remarks last November.

The 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook, adopted at a cabinet meeting Friday, calls China "an important neighboring country," compared with the description in the 2025 edition that the two countries had "one of the most important bilateral relationships."

China has escalated "unilateral criticism and coercive actions" against Japan since November, the latest annual report points out, citing, among others, Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian's social media threat to "cut a dirty neck," Chinese military aircraft's radar illumination against Japanese Air Self-Defense Force planes and Beijing's restriction on imports of dual-use goods from Japan.

Japan, for its part, remains "open to dialogue with China," the report notes.

The view on ties with China was revised to reflect, in part, the Japanese prime minister's hawkish parliamentary remarks on the country, a Foreign Ministry official said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]