WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi vowed to bolster bilateral ties on February 14, addressing China’s mounting economic pressures on Tokyo during Munich Security Conference sidelines.
The duo emphasized modernizing economic security links and tackled Beijing’s recent trade and export restrictions against Japan, per a US State Department summary. Tensions spiked after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted Tokyo could support Taiwan, a self-governing island China claims, in any conflict with Beijing.
In January, China banned exports of dual-use items to Japan for military or capability-enhancing purposes, according to its Commerce Ministry, without further details. Tokyo slammed the move as intolerable, exacerbating fraught relations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking at the conference, referenced Japan’s World War II aggression to chide Takaichi, labeling her Taiwan backing a “very dangerous development” for Asia and warning against resurgent militarism. Wang met Rubio the prior day.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, appearing February 13, struck a conciliatory tone: “Even though we have differences… Japan’s stance is very clear, we are always open to dialogue.” He credited Takaichi’s rare supermajority election win this February with emboldening security pushes, while stressing public explanations for regional threats.
Takaichi heads to Washington in March for talks with President Donald Trump, preceding his scheduled China visit the next month.