WASHINGTON (AP) — As Japan’s chief trade negotiator headed to Washington for another round of tariff negotiations last week, a bipartisan Japanese group promoting “Japan-China Friendship” completed its visit to Beijing.

Just a week before, the leader of the junior partner in Japan’s ruling coalition visited Beijing, carrying a personal message from newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Chinese President Xi Jinping. While the contents of the letter remain private, discussions reportedly touched on the impact of U.S. tariffs and issues in Japan-China relations.

Among the United States' allies navigating growing pressure from China, Japan holds a unique position.

Its unwavering alliance with Washington is counterbalanced by a complex and often fraught relationship with China—shaped by 20th-century wartime history that continues to influence current diplomacy.

"They share geographic proximity and robust economic ties," noted Matthew Goodman, who leads the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations. “But there’s a ceiling on how much Tokyo is willing to pivot toward Beijing.”

Even as Japan stays rooted in its strategic alliance with the U.S.—the cornerstone of its foreign and defense doctrine—Trump’s trade policies and unpredictable shifts have stirred uncertainty in Tokyo, Goodman added.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump announced a 24% tariff on Japanese exports as part of a broad plan targeting goods from nearly 90 nations. Though the White House has delayed full implementation with a temporary 10% rate on all but China to allow for talks, Japan continues to face heavy duties—up to 25%—on exports such as steel, aluminum, and automobiles.

The tariffs and President Trump’s "America First" stance have led to renewed Japanese skepticism about the durability of the U.S. alliance, while China is actively courting Tokyo and other nations caught in the crossfire of tariff disputes.

Encouraging signs emerge from Beijing

In late April, Tetsuo Saito led a delegation from Japan’s Komeito Party to Beijing, where Chinese officials expressed concern about their own trade friction with Washington, describing the situation as "troubled" in response to Trump’s staggering 145% duties on Chinese products, according to Japanese sources.

Soon after, members of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Union visited the Chinese capital. Zhao Leji, chairman of China’s legislature, said Beijing’s National People’s Congress welcomed expanded dialogue and exchange with Japan.

While Beijing didn’t lift its longstanding ban on Japanese seafood—something Tokyo had hoped for—it did signal a more receptive view toward Japan’s handling of treated wastewater from Fukushima’s nuclear plants. China banned imports of Japanese seafood in 2023, citing radiation concerns.

Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have long been tense. In addition to trade issues, the two nations continue to clash over territorial disputes in the East China Sea, growing Chinese military assertiveness, and incidents involving Japanese nationals in China—disputes rooted in historical grievances.

Japan’s increasingly close cooperation with the U.S. under President Joe Biden has drawn harsh criticism from Beijing, which regards such ties as part of Washington’s containment policy. Chinese officials have called on Japan to “squarely confront its history of wartime aggression.”

Once the dominant empire in East Asia, China struggled under foreign occupation in the 19th century as Japan industrialized and rose militarily. Japan’s 1930s invasion and brutal rule of northeast China, including atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre and biological warfare, left deep, unresolved wounds. Today, some conservative Japanese leaders still downplay those events, hindering reconciliation.

Prime Minister Ishiba, who assumed office in October, has maintained a more cautious stance on Japan’s wartime legacy than the nationalist figures before him. He held his first meeting with Xi shortly after taking office during a regional summit.

Still, Chinese analysts see Japan’s renewed diplomacy as a calculated hedge aimed at counterbalancing rising trade tensions with the U.S., rather than a pivot toward long-term alignment with China.

"Japan is unlikely to drift fully into China’s sphere," Goodman observed. “Managing this delicate relationship has always been—and will remain—a longstanding challenge for Tokyo.”

Pursuing stable U.S. ties through trade talks

While Tokyo is encouraged by a more conciliatory tone from Beijing, its strategic focus remains on stabilizing its relationship with Washington. Avoiding direct confrontation with the U.S., Japan hopes to resolve the tariff conflict and prevent China from gaining leverage amid any discord with Washington.

Japan was among the earliest countries to begin bilateral talks with the U.S. In the initial April round, President Trump personally intervened, underscoring the importance of securing a deal. His administration has pressed Japan to boost imports of American goods—including cars, rice, beef, and potatoes.

Following the second round last week in Washington, chief negotiator Ryosei Akazawa reiterated Japan’s position: the elimination of tariffs is a top priority. He warned that the 25% auto tariff is already impacting Japan’s automotive sector and emphasized the need for swift yet thorough negotiations.

When asked about Beijing, Akazawa stated only that Japan is “closely monitoring” the U.S.-China trade situation, citing Japan's deep economic ties with China.

Rivalry deepens in Southeast Asia

Even as they mend diplomatic fences, Japan and China are locked in competition across Southeast Asia—a region also facing tariff threats from the Trump administration. This area, heavily integrated with China’s manufacturing networks, is under increasing Western pressure to diversify.

With its relatively young and growing populations, Southeast Asia is seen as a vital arena for future economic growth.

Japan, a primary source of post-World War II development aid, has gradually restored trust in the region, where historical memories of Japanese military aggression still linger.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Ishiba concluded visits to Vietnam and the Philippines, where he pledged to bolster both security and trade relations. He emphasized Japan’s support for multilateral free trade and economic collaboration with each nation. He also recently held calls with leaders from Malaysia and Singapore to discuss U.S. tariffs.

Meanwhile, Xi Jinping had visited Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia just weeks earlier, pursuing similar trade and supply chain initiatives.

Speaking at a recent panel hosted by the Hudson Institute, policy chief Itsunori Onodera from Japan’s ruling party cautioned that rising U.S. tariffs are unsettling several countries in the region.

“Many are beginning to feel increasingly uneasy and might drift closer to China,” Onodera warned. “That is not the outcome Japan is hoping for.”

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Reported by Mari Yamaguchi from Tokyo.