Japan, China trade chiefs chat, 1st ministerial exchange amid row

SUZHOU, China - Japanese trade minister Ryosei Akazawa said Saturday he had a brief exchange with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao on the sidelines of a regional economic forum in Suzhou, eastern China, marking the first ministerial contact between the two countries since their latest diplomatic dispute flared up last year.

Sino-Japanese ties have deteriorated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in parliament last November that Japan could deploy its defense forces in the event of a conflict over Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.