Yasushi Noguchi says his country wants dialogue despite disagreement over island rule
Japan’s ambassador to Brazil, Yasushi Noguchi, said that the country supports dialogue between China and the island of Taiwan – a territory that is a point of disagreement between the countries. According to the diplomat, relations between Tokyo and Taipei are not governmental, being exclusively “commercial and cultural”.
In an interview with Poder360Noguchi also stated that Japan is willing to resolve diplomatic tensions with Beijing. The relationship between the countries – which is historically sensitive – worsened after Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi (Liberal Democratic Party, right), who would defend the island’s separatist government in the event of a Chinese invasion.
“We are always open to China to resolve discrepancies, problems or differences. So we want to resolve it that way and we want to have more stable relations. [Há] many benefits between Japan and China”said the Japanese ambassador.
Watch the full interview (20min):
According to the diplomat, the Japanese government is willing to talk to the neighboring country to promote diplomatic rapprochement. China, however, has adopted a tough tone following Takaichi’s statements on Taiwan.
On Tuesday (March 24), the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the Prime Minister for diplomatic tension between the countries. Domination of the island is a non-negotiable topic for Beijing, which should only resume dialogue with Japan if it apologizes for what it said.
“We are in dialogue. Our door is open to dialogue with China, so we are always willing to resolve differences through dialogue”said Noguchi.
Japan aims to advance partnership with Brazil
In an interview with Poder360Yasushi Noguchi declared that the relationship between the 2 countries is experiencing a phase of economic expansion driven by the Japanese search for “economic security” and for greater resilience in supply chains. According to him, Brazil gained strategic relevance in this scenario by combining “democratic stability” e “abundance” of natural resources.
The movement takes place in the context of the reorganization of global chains, pressured by recent tensions – such as the rise in oil prices following tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the dispute between the United States and China for control of critical minerals and the greater uncertainty in North American trade policy – which have led countries like Japan to reduce dependence on a few suppliers in strategic sectors.
Noguchi highlighted advances on two main fronts. They are:
- Japan’s exploration of Brazil’s critical minerals;
- process of opening the Japanese market to Brazilian beef.
