Japan-China Spat Lacks Immediate Offramp Despite Komeito Talks

China and Japan’s diplomatic spat shows no sign of an immediate offramp even as the leadership of a Japanese political party that helped break the ice in a previous dispute continues to talk with officials from Beijing behind the scenes.

Tetsuo Saito, the head of former ruling coalition partner Komeito, said he’s held one in-person meeting and multiple phone calls with China’s ambassador, Wu Jianghao, since remarks on Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi triggered a standoff between the two nations.