Japan trade minister holds brief talks with Chinese counterpart amid diplomatic row

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) – Japan’s Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said on Saturday there were no formal bilateral talks with China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, though the two had a brief conversation before a dinner on Friday, without disclosing details.

Akazawa spoke to reporters after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou.

Akazawa is the most senior Japanese official to visit China since a diplomatic dispute between the two countries erupted in November.

“Before the dinner began on Friday, I approached Minister Wang and had a brief conversation,” Akazawa said, adding he could not disclose details because it was a diplomatic exchange.

He said on Friday he hoped to discuss various issues with Wang if the opportunity arose, according to Kyodo news agency.

A Japanese trade ministry official declined to comment on whether Tokyo had formally requested bilateral talks.

A meeting between Akazawa and a senior Chinese official would have marked the highest-level engagement since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi triggered the row by saying a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a response from Tokyo.

Since then, Beijing has adopted a raft of retaliatory measures, urging its citizens not to travel to Japan and choking off shipments of some rare earths, which are vital in making electric cars, weapons and other products.

During the APEC ministerial meeting, Akazawa called on exporting nations to rectify arbitrary rare earth export controls, though he did not name any country, the ministry official said.

China has cut Japan off from several heavy rare earths and other materials for at least four months, coinciding with a dispute between the two countries, suggesting Beijing is using its control over critical minerals as diplomatic leverage.

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Kim Coghill)