When Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi visits Manila for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings this week, a familiar face will also be in attendance: his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
The two neighbors¡¯ foreign ministers have traditionally held bilateral talks on the meetings¡¯ sidelines. That¡¯s doubtful this time, amid the countries¡¯ ongoing row over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s remarks in November that Japan could hypothetically intervene militarily in a crisis over democratic Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.
Still, while it¡¯s unlikely that Motegi and Wang ¡ª a former ambassador to Japan and fluent Japanese speaker ¡ª will formally meet, the venue offers the opportunity for at least some kind of interaction on the sidelines. Indeed, Motegi, who built a solid relationship with the Chinese foreign minister during his earlier 2019-21 stint as Â鶹´«Ã½ top diplomat, will have a handful of chances.
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