Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to hold a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Indonesia next month on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related summits, Japanese government officials said Wednesday.

Kishida is expected to express his government’s position of emphasizing dialogue with China while seeking China’s understanding for Japan’s plan to release treated water from the disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.

The Kishida-Li meeting will be the first summit-level dialogue between Japan and China since Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping had talks in November last year.

China has repeatedly criticized the Fukushima water release plan, calling the treated water “nuclear-contaminated.”

At his envisaged meeting with Li, Kishida plans to explain Japan’s intention to ensure safety based on scientific evidence. He will also ask the Chinese side to rethink its recent tightening of import restrictions on Japanese fishery products.

Kishida and Li are expected to exchange views on creating a constructive yet stable relationship between their countries.

The Japanese leader is likely to discuss the situation surrounding the Taiwan Strait, as well as the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, which are also claimed by China.

He is also seen urging the Chinese side to take responsible actions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The ASEAN-related summits will be held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta for four days from Sept. 4. On such an occasion last November, Kishida had a brief conversation with then Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

JIJI Press