The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that on the 13th, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed condolences over the passing of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Takaichi mentioned Zhu Rongji's contributions to the development of relations between Japan and China.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also expressed his condolences to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
China-Japan relations have fallen to historic lows. Last year, Sanae Takaichi's remarks suggesting that a Taiwan contingency would pose an existential crisis to Japan drove bilateral relations to a freezing point. Japan's related military deployments are also seen by Beijing as a revival of new militarism.
The Japanese Embassy in China published on its official website, “Sanae Takaichi has respectively conveyed to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, remarks on former Premier Zhu Rongji's contributions to the development of China-Japan relations, and expressed condolences.” The Japanese embassy also lowered its flag to half-mast in mourning.