Chinese Flattop Liaoning Heads for Western Pacific for Drills

China has informed Japan's largest business lobby that it will accept a larger delegation than initially planned in mid-November, sources close to the situation revealed Wednesday. This move could potentially alleviate the cooling tensions between the two nations. Beijing's announcement to the Japan Business Federation arrived shortly after former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya paid a visit to Beijing in late September.

The lobby, also referred to as Keidanren, now intends to send approximately 20 representatives, including officials from affiliated companies, to China, up from the initial count of around five individuals. Iwaya, who led a Japanese trade promotion organization delegation, engaged in discussions with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, and Vice Premier He Lifeng during his stay in the Chinese capital.

This marked the first publicly acknowledged meeting between Wang and a Japanese politician since bilateral relations deteriorated following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's assertion in parliament last November that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by Beijing, might prompt a response from the Self-Defense Forces to defend the United States.

The planned deployment of a relatively small Keidanren group aims to generate momentum for a larger delegation's visit expected in March. An intended mission in January was delayed due to the Chinese side's lack of a clear response to the proposed visit. Takaichi's comments regarding a Taiwan emergency triggered political and economic countermeasures by China against Japan. Diplomatic exchanges have been frozen due to the disagreement.