‘Good start’: China bids to reset ties with Japan amid Trump tariff storm

Both Asian powers have ‘sent clear signals’ they want to improve their economic relationship, but geopolitical tensions will make that difficult

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Vice-Premier He Lifeng (right) escorts Masakazu Tokura (centre), chairman of the Japan Business Federation, to the venue of their meeting in Beijing on February 17. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 3:00pm, 25 Feb 2025

Beijing and Tokyo have made a “good start” to resetting their economic relationship with a string of high-level meetings in recent months, analysts said, as both sides seek to hedge against the turbulence being unleashed by US President Donald Trump.

But geopolitical tensions are likely to prevent the Asian powers from shifting their bilateral ties onto a truly new course.

China’s latest attempt to reach out to Japan came last week, when Vice-Premier He Lifeng met with a group of visiting Japanese business leaders in Beijing.

“The two countries have sent clear signals about improving relations via a series of high-level exchanges over the past year,” said Wang Zichen, a research fellow with the Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation think tank.

The moves come at a time when Trump is bringing heightened uncertainty to the global economy. The US has not only imposed additional 10 per cent tariffs on all Chinese goods in recent weeks, but also rolled out some universal import duties that affect its allies.

Recent gestures of goodwill on the Japanese and Chinese sides are a “good start”, Wang said, but he cautioned that the idea of Beijing “pulling Japan significantly towards China is daydreaming”.