Photo/Illutration Liu Jinsong, director-general of China's Department of Asian Affairs, front right, keeps his hands in his pockets while chatting with Masaaki Kanai, director-general of Japan's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. (From the news site of China Central Television)

Images of “diplomatic superiority” shown by Chinese state media have exacerbated the Japan-China feud over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about Taiwan.

The footage concerned the Nov. 18 talks in Beijing between Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

China Central Television aired footage showing Liu, with his hands in his pockets, chatting with Kanai.

The coverage was presented as if Liu were “lecturing” Kanai.

Other Chinese media outlets even ran articles under such headlines as: “Japanese senior official leaves Chinese Foreign Ministry with head bowed.”

“We have raised the issue with the Chinese side regarding the press arrangements that were made without coordination with the Japanese side,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at his news conference on Nov. 19. “The government refrains from commenting on every single report by Chinese domestic media.”

The Chinese media reports were seen as projecting China’s dominant position and giving the impression that Japan wanted to offer an explanation.

Kihara explained that Tokyo is pursuing dialogue with Beijing to de-escalate the situation.

“There is no change in our policy to reduce challenges and pending issues while increasing understanding and cooperation through mutual efforts,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take appropriate action.”

Although the Kanai-Liu talks had been arranged earlier, the meeting became a forum on Takaichi’s remark in the Diet that Japan could take action in a Taiwan contingency caused by a Chinese military attack.

Japan approached the talks with an emphasis on dialogue.

“We must not allow the situation to escalate further,” a senior government official said.

The talks continued from the morning to the afternoon on Nov. 18, but no breakthrough came out of the discussions.

Kanai did not brief the media after the meeting.

LONG FIGHT EXPECTED

Japan appears to be bracing for a prolonged standoff with China.

Although the two countries are expected to hold more working-level talks, dialogue at the summit level remains uncertain.

China has announced that Premier Li Qiang will not hold discussions with Takaichi at the Group of 20 summit this weekend in South Africa.

But Japanese government sources said Tokyo is exploring opportunities for even a brief exchange between the two leaders.

One problem for the Takaichi administration is that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s diplomatic channels with China have weakened.

The LDP now lacks heavyweights, like former Secretaries-General Toshihiro Nikai and Hiroshi Moriyama, who prioritized ties with China.

The LDP is also no longer coalition partners with Komeito, which has strong connections in China.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said, “We have stepped on the tiger’s tail with the Taiwan issue. This is probably a time when nothing we do will work.”

(This article was compiled from articles written by Yuta Ogi, Narumi Ota, Nobuhiko Tajima, and correspondent Ryo Inoue.)

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