China warns Japan over WWII history as business delegation visits Beijing

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met Japan’s former foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya, who is leading a 50-member delegation of corporate executives, in Beijing on Monday, marking the highest-ranking Chinese official reception for a Japanese visit in nearly a year.

During the talks, Wang warned that bilateral relations were facing a “severe situation” and had “yet to be normalised” ahead of next year’s 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties, according to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry.

“A country that challenges its post-war ‘peace constitution’ or attempts to rewrite the history of wartime aggression … cannot face the world, let alone open up a future,” Wang said.

Wang urged Tokyo to “correct the erroneous words and deeds” of its leadership regarding Taiwan as soon as possible.