<轉載自2026年10月5日 明報 社評>
中日關係持續緊張,日本前外相、日本國際貿易促進協會(日本國貿促)會長岩屋毅率領50名日資高管訪華,先後獲中共中央政治局委員、中央外辦主任王毅以及國務院副總理何立峰會見。這是10個月以來中方首次高規格接待日本政商界,既維持交流管道,又「以民促官」,明確提出「盡快糾正本國領導人在台灣問題上的錯誤言行」。中日首腦能否在11月深圳亞太經合組織(APEC)峰會舉行會談,皮球落在日本一方。
高規格接待日本政商界 華促糾正涉台錯誤言行
高市早苗去年11月在國會發表「台灣有事構成日本『存亡危機事態 』」言論,觸及北京紅線,導致兩國關係全面惡化。中方發布赴日旅遊警示,大規模縮減赴日航班,並對日本實施嚴格的稀土出口管制,中日經貿和民間往來步入寒冬期。在此背景下,8月下旬以來,已有3個日本代表團陸續訪華尋求對話。前兩個代表團均由數名議員組成,分別與中共中央對外聯絡部副部長陸慷、中國人民對外友好協會會長楊萬明會晤。
今次岩屋毅以日本國貿促會長的身分帶領企業界代表訪華,反映日本商界擔憂中日關係持續惡化損害經貿利益,藉此向中方了解口徑。日本國貿促是長期對華友好的民間團體,本次訪華團匯聚日本多家主流企業高管;岩屋毅曾出任日本防衛大臣及外相,至今仍是自民黨眾議員。從議員團到政商代表團接連訪華,可見日本內部亦非鐵板一塊,對處理眼下的中日關係存在不同聲音。
回顧1970年代中日邦交正常化,走的就是「民間先行,以民促官」的路徑。日本經貿界長期以來在中日關係扮演「壓艙石」與「推進器」的角色,中方安排主管外交的王毅以及主管經貿的何立峰接見日本國貿促一行。何立峰表示,中日互為重要經貿伙伴,中國始終歡迎日本企業來華發展;王毅則指出,當前的中日關係「有待再次實現正常化」,對日方而言,「緊迫的是盡快糾正本國領導人在台灣問題上的錯誤言行」。
中方給予高規格禮遇,配合相關講話,意在借助民間力量,間接對日方強硬政治勢力施加壓力,並且傳遞信息:中日合作前景廣闊,但前提是政治基礎不能受到破壞;如果不盡快糾正高市的「台灣有事論」,中日關係正常化無從談起。
岩屋毅此行處於中美元首會晤之後、APEC深圳峰會之前,時間點頗為微妙。放眼國際大局,大國博弈目前處於相對理性克制的階段,中美達成構建「建設性戰略穩定關係」的新定位,連美國總統特朗普對是否捲入台海衝突亦態度謹慎。特朗普曾明確表示,「不希望飛越9500英里去打一仗」,反觀日本部分政治人物卻高調炒作「台灣有事就是日本有事」,實屬錯估形勢、不自量力。
直呼高市其名 不提「日本首相」
國家主席習近平此次訪美,其中一項成果是「兩國元首憶及中國和美國是二戰盟友,並肩作戰贏得戰爭勝利」,這也令日本國內瀰漫着困惑與不安。高市內閣理應審慎思考,日本應該如何與中國相處,問題是現今日本右翼勢力猖獗,在他們眼中,若因中方施壓而「糾正」言論,等同於讓中國擁有對日本國會答詢與防衛政策的「否決權」,難以接受,而高市為了保住相位,又不能失去右翼勢力的支持。高市面對的政治兩難是繼續向中方要求說不,中日高層對話與經貿僵局將長期持續;倘若實質讓步,又會面臨國內保守派支持者的強烈反彈,甚至引發政權危機。
最近中方對高市草苗的稱呼,出現了惹人注目的變化。上月中,外交部發言人郭嘉昆談到中日關係時,仍使用「日本首相高市早苗」的稱謂,但下旬起卻出現了變化,回應日本「不設禁忌討論核武器」時,直呼高市早苗其名,把「日本首相」4字拿掉。就着高市的「台灣有事論」,中方立場一直是要求撤回,現在換上「糾正」這一表述,日方的外交迴旋空間,理論上確是大了一些。問題是高市是否肯「糾正」。事實上,中方要求高市撤回涉台錯誤言論,已經給了近一年的時間,卻一直得不到回應。中方不以「日本首相」稱呼高市草苗,極不客氣,難免令人懷疑中方是否已經對此人「死心」,「糾正錯誤」的外交重任,不排除要落在未來的日本領導人身上。
高市明天將到國會發表施政演說,日本傳媒指演說草稿稱中國是「重要鄰國」,然而如果高市真的重視與「重要鄰國」的關係,就不應該在台灣問題及軍事擴張政策上,繼續朝錯誤的方向走。11月的深圳APEC峰會,高市大概會出席,但以目前態勢,與習近平舉行雙方會晤的機會只怕不大。
China Leverages Japanese
Businessmen to Press Takaichi
AMID the continuing
tension between China and Japan, Takeshi Iwaya, former Japanese foreign
minister and Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade
(JAPIT) president, has led a delegation of 50 Japanese corporate executives on
a visit to China. This marked the first high-level reception of Japanese
political and business representatives by China in 10 months, with Iwaya being
received by CCP Politburo member and Director of the Office of the Central
Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, and then Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Japanese Prime Minister
Sanae Takaichi's remarks in parliament last November that "Taiwan
emergencies may constitute a 'survival-threatening situation' for Japan"
breached Beijing's red line. As relations between the two countries
deteriorate, their economic and trade ties as well as non-governmental
exchanges have entered a deep freeze. Three Japanese missions have visited
China to seek dialogue since late August, with the previous two comprising
several parliamentary members.
The latest delegation of
corporate representatives was led by Iwaya in his capacity as JAPIT president,
reflecting concerns within Japan's business community that prolonged
deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations could harm economic and trade
interests. JAPIT is a non-governmental organisation with a long-standing
friendly attitude towards China. The delegation included top executives of
mainstream Japanese enterprises. Iwaya had served as Japan's defence and
foreign minister, and remains a Liberal Democrat member of the House of
Representatives.
He Lifeng noted that
China and Japan are important economic and trade partners to each other, and
Japanese enterprises are always welcome to develop business in China.
Meanwhile, Wang Yi remarked that the current bilateral relations have "yet
to be normalised", and the pressing task for Japan is to "correct the
erroneous words and deeds of its leaders on the Taiwan question as soon as
possible".
The high level of
hospitality shown by Beijing to the delegation, in concert with the
aforementioned comments, was meant to leverage the private sector to exert
indirect pressure on the hardliners in Japan. This conveyed China's message
that there is a broad prospect for bilateral cooperation, but as a
prerequisite, the political foundation shall never be harmed; if Takaichi's
comment on "Taiwan emergencies" is not corrected as soon as possible,
normalisation of China-Japan relations will be out of the question. In
retrospect, the path trodden during the normalisation of China-Japan diplomatic
relations in the 1970s exactly started with non-governmental sectors,
leveraging them to influence official policy.
Beijing had demanded a
"retraction" of Takaichi's Taiwan remarks for nearly a year but has
now replaced it with a "correction". Theoretically, this gives Tokyo
more room for diplomatic manoeuvre. Yet from the perspective of the rampant
right-wing forces in Japan, any "correction" of the comment in
response to Beijing's pressure would be equivalent to giving China a veto over
Japan's parliamentary questioning and defence policies, which is unacceptable.
To hold on to her premiership, Takaichi cannot afford the loss of right-wing
support.
Recently, there has been
a conspicuous change in China's way of addressing Takaichi. In mid-September, a
Foreign Ministry spokesperson still called her "Japanese Prime Minister
Sanae Takaichi". However, since the end of the month, she has been
referred to directly only as "Sanae Takaichi". Beijing's blunt
refusal to address her by her title inevitably raises guesses about whether
China has already "given up" on this person. Under the current
situation, a bilateral meeting between Takaichi and Xi Jinping at November's
APEC summit in Shenzhen will be unlikely.
以民促官施壓高市早苗 APEC首腦會談仍難樂觀
中日關係持續緊張,日本前外相、日本國際貿易促進協會(日本國貿促)會長岩屋毅率領50名日資高管訪華,先後獲中共中央政治局委員、中央外辦主任王毅以及國務院副總理何立峰會見,是10個月以來中方首次高規格接待日本政商界。
日本首相高市早苗去年11月在國會發表「台灣有事構成日本『存亡危機事態』」言論,觸及北京紅線,導致兩國關係全面惡化,經貿和民間往來步入寒冬期。8月下旬以來,已有3個日本代表團陸續訪華尋求對話,前兩個代表團均由數名議員組成。
今次岩屋毅以日本國貿促會長的身分帶領企業界代表訪華,反映日本商界擔憂中日關係持續惡化損害經貿利益。日本國貿促是長期對華友好的民間團體,本次訪華團匯聚日本多家主流企業高管;岩屋毅曾出任日本防衛大臣及外相,至今仍是自民黨眾議員。
何立峰表示,中日互為重要經貿伙伴,中國始終歡迎日本企業來華發展;王毅則指出,當前的中日關係「有待再次實現正常化」,對日方而言,「緊迫的是盡快糾正本國領導人在台灣問題上的錯誤言行」。
中方給予高規格禮遇,配合相關講話,意在借助民間力量,間接對日方強硬政治勢力施加壓力,並且傳遞信息:中日合作前景廣闊,但前提是政治基礎不能受到破壞;如果不盡快糾正高市的「台灣有事論」,中日關係正常化無從談起。回顧1970年代中日邦交正常化,走的就是「民間先行,以民促官」的路徑。
中方近一年來要求撤回高市的「台灣有事論」,現在換上「糾正」這一表述,日方的外交迴旋空間,理論上確是大了一些。問題是現今日本右翼勢力猖獗,在他們眼中,若因中方施壓而「糾正」言論,等同於讓中國擁有對日本國會答詢與防衛政策的「否決權」,難以接受,而高市為了保住相位,又不能失去右翼勢力的支持。
最近中方對高市草苗的稱呼,出現了惹人注目的變化。上月中,外交部發言人仍使用「日本首相高市早苗」的稱謂,但下旬起卻直呼高市早苗其名。中方不以「日本首相」稱呼高市草苗,極不客氣,難免令人懷疑中方是否已經對此人「死心」。11月的深圳APEC峰會,以目前態勢,高市與習近平舉行雙方會晤的機會只怕不大。