Photo courtesy of Anadolu
China denied on Monday that Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi during last week’s ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, contradicting Japan’s account of the encounter.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Wang neither met with the Japanese delegation nor arranged any meeting while attending the regional gathering in the Philippine capital.
Lin also maintained that no contact or conversation took place between the two officials during the forum.
The statement came days after Motegi said he briefly spoke with Wang after the two crossed paths at the ASEAN meetings in Manila.
Motegi said the exchange touched on bilateral relations, although Japanese media reported that the interaction consisted mainly of greetings and other brief pleasantries.
The conflicting accounts underscored the continued tensions between Beijing and Tokyo amid longstanding disputes over regional and security issues.
Relations between the two countries have remained strained in recent months, particularly after remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan drew criticism from China in November.
Neither side has released additional details to reconcile the differing accounts of what transpired during the ASEAN meetings.