China's Wang urged Japan PM's Taiwan remark withdrawal in ex-minister talks: sources

BEIJING - China's top diplomat Wang Yi sought the withdrawal of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on a Taiwan emergency in his talks with a former Japanese foreign minister in Beijing last week, diplomatic sources said Thursday.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry readout on the Sept. 28 meeting between Wang and former minister Takeshi Iwaya did not include the word "withdrawal" in reference to what it calls Takaichi's "erroneous words and deeds" on the Taiwan issue, sparking speculation that Beijing may have softened its stance amid a diplomatic dispute over her comments.