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20230404 Hayashi in Beijing with premier

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, right, meets visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Beijing's Zhongnanhai leadership compound on April 2. © Kyodo

In the first visit to China by a Japanese foreign minister in three years, Yoshimasa Hayashi met with newly appointed Premier Li Qiang, top diplomat Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang over the weekend. The fact that China received Hayashi with such high-ranking leaders likely marks a significant development in the long-troubled bilateral relationship.

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