Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called for dialogue with China as he seeks to find common ground in opposing the threat and use of nuclear weapons in a message to a forum on Sino-Japanese relations that began Thursday in Beijing, organizers said.
Kishida said during a banquet on Wednesday evening for those taking part in the forum that international cooperation is needed to prevent the use of nuclear weapons by nations that seek to "change the status quo by force," noting that Beijing, a nuclear power, has an "important responsibility to ensure peace and prosperity" in Asia.
The annual forum, which is the first in-person meeting to be held in four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw key political and business figures as well as experts from Japan and China discuss issues such as politics, economy and security.
Concerns have been growing that Russia might use nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine.
On the bilateral relationship, which has come under further strain following the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan that began in late August, Kishida stressed the importance of dialogue despite the difficulties, adding that private-sector conversations are vital.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa echoed the premier's views in a video message to the forum on Thursday, calling for "candid" dialogue between the two countries to address issues of concern.
The forum through Friday is being held ahead of the 45th anniversary next Monday, which will mark the enactment of a bilateral treaty of peace and friendship.
China's top diplomat Wang Yi said in an online message to the forum that bilateral relations are in a "severe condition," and urged the two Asian neighbors to "go back to the original intent" of the treaty, which calls for both sides not to pursue regional hegemony and mutual non-interference in each other's domestic affairs.
"Peace, friendship, and cooperation is the only option" for the two Asian nations, Wang added.
The top diplomat reiterated Beijing's opposition to the Fukushima water discharge, saying that it "poses a threat to the global marine environment," and warned against any interference by Japan in issues surrounding Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island that Communist-ruled China regards as its territory.
At a session later in the day, Seiji Kihara, a former deputy chief Cabinet secretary and a close aide to Kishida, called for more exchanges between the Japanese prime minister and Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying they have only met in-person on one occasion and held phone talks just once since the Kishida took office in October 2021.
There is "too little" communication between the leaders, said Kihara, who attended the forum virtually. "We need repeated dialogues all the more because there are challenges" in bilateral relations, he added.
Jia Qingguo, professor at Peking University's School of International Studies, agreed on the importance of dialogue between the two major Asian powers and called for "boycotting extreme moves" such as online hate speech by those holding negative feelings toward the neighboring country.
Former Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua pointed out it is important to promote dialogue at various levels and in different areas to lay the groundwork for the summit talks, calling for meetings between political parties, parliamentarians, defense officials and business leaders.
A statement will be issued on Friday by the annual forum, which began in 2005, after the two-day sessions. Panelists who attended the meeting in person included former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and former president of the Asian Development Bank Takehiko Nakao.
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