Japan 'always open' to dialogue with China: Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday she is “always open” to dialogue with China despite a diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing over comments she made about Taiwan.

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“China is an important neighbour for Japan, and we need to build constructive and stable relationships,” Takaichi told a news conference.

“Japan is always open to dialogue with China. We're not shutting our door.”

China and Japan are enmeshed in a spat over Takaichi’s suggestion in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.

Beijing claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.