Japan Moves Behind the Scenes to Head Off Xi's 'Snub' of Takaichi at APEC

APEC summit to be held in Shenzhen, China, this month
Japanese government asks that Prime Minister Takaichi receive protocol treatment
equal to that of other national leaders
Amid worsening bilateral relations over Taiwan

As tensions between China and Japan drag on, the Japanese government is engaging in behind-the-scenes diplomacy to prevent Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi from being snubbed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China this month. With a bilateral summit looking unlikely, Tokyo is focusing on securing protocol treatment for Takaichi equal to that of other national leaders, at a minimum.

According to Bloomberg News on November 9, the Japanese government has reportedly asked China to guarantee that Takaichi will receive the same protocol treatment as other national leaders at the APEC summit, which will be held in Shenzhen, China, on November 18 and 19. Bloomberg reported that Japanese officials expect Xi to offer Takaichi at least a customary handshake.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi heads to the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on the 4th. Tokyo, Japan = AFP-Yonhap.

Bloomberg also reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the Japanese government plans to protest if China treats Takaichi in an unusually unfavorable manner at the summit. The Japanese government is reportedly concerned that Takaichi could be sidelined in seating arrangements and group photographs as well.

These concerns stem from Xi's past public confrontations with other national leaders at international meetings. At the G20 summit in Indonesia in 2022, Xi strongly criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the disclosure to the media of details of a conversation between the two leaders. Footage of the conversation was captured by media cameras at the time.

Moreover, a bilateral summit between China and Japan is also considered unlikely on the sidelines of this meeting. Bloomberg predicted that any contact between the two leaders would likely be limited to formal, ceremonial occasions such as a dinner.

Relations between China and Japan deteriorated rapidly after Takaichi said in November 2025 that Japan could exercise its right to collective self-defense in the event of an emergency involving Taiwan. China strongly objected, saying her remarks suggested the possibility of Japanese involvement in the Taiwan issue, and began applying pressure, including by restricting exports to Japan of rare earths and other critical minerals.

China is demanding that Takaichi retract her remarks on Taiwan and change Japan's policy toward China, but Japan has refused to comply. According to the Mainichi Shimbun on November 7, the Chinese government conveyed a message to Japan last month, ahead of Takaichi's speech to the Diet, asking it to follow the policy toward China pursued by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014. At the time, Abe emphasized publicly the importance of building friendly relations with China despite tensions between the two countries, and held a summit with Xi in November of that year.

The Mainichi Shimbun reported that the Prime Minister's Office of Japan also took China's request as a sign of improving relations and considered revising Takaichi's speech, but she did not accept the changes. Instead, she referred to China's economic pressure and human rights issues in her speech and called on Beijing to act responsibly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.