Kathmandu— A delegation of Japanese lawmakers landed in Beijing on Monday, initiating talks aimed at easing escalating tensions between Japan and China. The visit comes following comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan that triggered a significant diplomatic rift, impacting both political communication and economic ties. The cross-party group hopes to reestablish dialogue after channels were reportedly cut off, marking the first such consultations with senior Chinese Communist Party officials since relations soured late last year.

Diplomatic Fallout Over Taiwan

Relations between Japan and China deteriorated sharply after Prime Minister Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could consider a military response if China were to attack Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory. China considers any questioning of its claim over the island a sensitive issue, and responded to Takaichi’s comments with warnings against citizen travel to Japan and tightened trade restrictions. These measures reportedly disrupted the supply of rare earth minerals to Japanese companies, adding an economic dimension to the diplomatic dispute.

Seeking Restarted Dialogue

The delegation includes Gaku Hashimoto from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, along with lawmakers from the Komeito and Centrist Reform Alliance parties. Shinichi Isa, a spokesperson for the Centrist Reform Alliance and former diplomat at the Japanese embassy in China, expressed concern over the complete breakdown in communication between officials and ministries. “Communication has been severed in all areas, and we are beginning to see their impact in many areas,” Isa told reporters before departing Tokyo. “I hope we can somehow find a clue to restart a dialogue.” He described the current state of relations as the worst since diplomatic ties were normalized in 1972.

China Acknowledges Need for Improved Ties

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that some within Japan's political landscape are concerned about the deteriorating relationship and wish to see it improve. The ministry called on Tokyo to listen to these voices and work towards restoring normal exchanges between the two countries. Despite this acknowledgement, Prime Minister Takaichi has not retracted her comments regarding Taiwan nor publicly responded to China’s concerns.

Further Exchanges Planned

This week's visit is only the first of several planned delegations aimed at mending relations. Former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is scheduled to lead another delegation to China in late September, and a group of Japanese business representatives are expected to follow later this year, according to reports from Kyodo News agency.

The current visit is slated to conclude on Thursday, with hopes that it will pave the way for further dialogue and a potential easing of tensions between the two nations.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.