Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping last held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea in October 2025, where they reaffirmed a “strategically mutually beneficial relationship” while addressing concerns over maritime activities, economic security, Taiwan Strait stability, and import restrictions. No direct leader-level meeting has occurred since. Recent U.S.-China engagement, including Xi’s September 2026 state visit to Washington and subsequent Trump-Takaichi discussions on regional security, has underscored alliance dynamics and historical sensitivities without producing a Japan-China summit. The next major opportunity lies in the November 2026 APEC leaders’ meeting hosted by China in Shenzhen, where sideline bilateral engagements are common. Persistent frictions over the Senkaku Islands, rare-earth exports, and cross-strait issues continue to shape the pace and conditions for any renewed high-level contact.