Japan wants more access to the Chinese market – and the US-China trade war might help
- Timing of talks could work in Tokyo’s favour, with US negotiations putting Beijing under pressure to offer concessions to other powers, source says
- China ‘has been more forthcoming and more willing to discuss issues such as intellectual property protection, forced technology transfers and opening up’
Japanese officials will hold talks with Beijing this weekend to demand more access to the Chinese market, and their case could be aided by pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The delegation headed by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono will meet China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, for a high-level economic dialogue in Beijing on Sunday.
A diplomatic source involved in planning the meeting said its timing could work in Tokyo’s favour. They said protracted trade talks with the US had put China under more pressure to offer concessions to other powers – like Japan and the European Union – that shared similar concerns to Washington over market access but did not support Trump’s protectionist approach.
Beijing also needs support from the EU and Japan as it seeks to diversify its markets and take on a leadership role in pushing global trade. The source said that as the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) had stalled over differences with India, Beijing was pursuing a plan to set up a separate free-trade agreement for the Asean Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea) grouping.
“The Chinese side has been more forthcoming and more willing to discuss issues such as intellectual property protection, forced technology transfers and further opening up of the Chinese market,” said the source, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.
